1) If it’s an idea someone else uses, ask them where they use it and how. If it’s too general, get a concrete example.
2) If it is clear where it might be applied, test it. (I tested Bayes Theorem on a real life question with numbers I made up, to see if it was a useful tool. I didn’t think of the problem when I was looking at the technique; I came across a question and I remembered it, so I used it.)
Two ways to do this:
1) If it’s an idea someone else uses, ask them where they use it and how. If it’s too general, get a concrete example.
2) If it is clear where it might be applied, test it. (I tested Bayes Theorem on a real life question with numbers I made up, to see if it was a useful tool. I didn’t think of the problem when I was looking at the technique; I came across a question and I remembered it, so I used it.)