Richard Feynman: What I cannot create, I do not understand

I didn't really know anything about Richard Feynman before seeing some of his stuff on Brain Pickings and Open Culture. He is one interesting alternative.

The quote in the cartoon below comes from his blackboard at the time of his death. Feynman didn't start his explanations from the null. He didn't take past discovery for granted. He liked to start from scratch.

How often do we avoid going back to the beginning, just assuming the null is the best starting point?