What I Learned from Being Raised by a Genius

I was raised by an actual genius. My dad got perfect scores on his SATs, skipped a grade, and graduated high school at 16. He went to CalTech to study math for a year just for fun, then graduated first in his class academically at the Naval Academy. Oh, and he also wrote his own calculus theory. No big deal.

You might think having a dad like that meant I had a built-in tutor who made high school math easy. But let me tell you—having a genius dad tutor me in calculus was not exactly my idea of fun. He didn’t just want me to get the right answer; he wanted me to understand the concept. And when you’re a teenager just trying to get through homework, that was frustrating. But looking back, one lesson he taught me has stuck with me more than anything else:

Stop trying to answer the question in front of you, and start trying to understand the concept.

He believed that if you could grasp the deeper principle behind a problem, you could solve any complexity. More importantly, you could actually apply what you learned to the real world, rather than just regurgitating information in an academic vacuum.

This lesson doesn’t just apply to math. It applies to almost everything in life—including decluttering.

We often focus on the individual items in front of us: Should I keep this shirt? Do I need this kitchen gadget? But instead of obsessing over each decision, what if we zoomed out and understood the bigger principles behind our choices?

Why do we hold on to certain things? Why do we keep overconsuming? What are our driving values and beliefs about our stuff?

When we take the time to understand our underlying motivations, the next choice becomes obvious. We’re no longer just making one-off decisions about what to declutter or what to buy—we’re aligning with a larger philosophy that makes those decisions easier and more automatic.

This is the second week in a row I’ve written about how broader principles are helpful in helping us declutter, but I think it’s worth the extra attention.

Just like my dad taught me about calculus, understanding the ‘why’ makes all the difference. It’s not about finding the perfect answer for this one moment; it’s about equipping yourself with a framework that serves you for life.

If you haven’t listened to the episode of Paring Down called “The Best Principles to Guide Your Decluttering,” you can check it out HERE.