Mental models are high level representations of how thing work.
They help you think effectively and thus are fully aligned with the objectives and purpose of this site.
According to Charlie Munger:
Munger is referring here to mental models.
Two broad categories of mental models that are particularly useful are those that help us understand how:
[1] The world works and thus to predict the future.
[2] To see connections and opportunities
Our world is multi-dimensional and our problems are complex. Most problems cannot be solved using one model alone, thus it follows that the more models you have in the toolkit, the better equipped you will be to solve your problems because you can look at the problem from a variety of perspectives and increase the odds that you will come to a better solution.
But if you don’t have the models, you become the proverbial man with a hammer to whom every problem looks like a nail.
Another important
consideration is how you prioritise your learning. Trying to keep
up-to-date with all the latest information will lead to us chasing our
tails, therefore Charlie Munger says that we should focus on things that
change slowly:
“You don’t have to know everything. A few really big ideas carry most of the freight.”
"It’s kind of fun to sit there and out-think people who are way smarter than you are because you’ve trained yourself to be more objective and more multidisciplinary. Furthermore, there is a lot of money in it, as I can testify from my own personal experience."
Charlie Munger: Adding Mental Tools to Your Toolbox
How To Prioritise Learning Mental Models
Further reading:
In the words of Charlie Munger:
The purpose of this site is to show you how to cope in tough times, and
to provide you with the tools to do this successfully. Mental models are
an integral part of all this. Here is how it all hangs together. Mental Models: The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions (109 Models Explained)
Mental Models - General Thinking Concepts What Is Truth - How To Tell A Partial Truth From The Whole Truth? The Power Of Opposite Thinking Iatrogenics - "Do Something Syndrome" How To Make Better Decisions - By Avoiding The Narrative Trap Mental Models - Human Nature Why You Should Embrace Anomalies Mental Models - Productive Thinking Applied Rationality and The Scout Mindset Less Is More - Subtractive Solutions The Challenges Of The Road Less Traveled Mental Models - Physics, Chemistry & Biology Food For Thought: Using Models to Stay Calm in Charged Situations Return from "Mental Models" to: How To ThinkHow Do Mental Models Align With The Themes Of This Site?
FULL LISTING - Mental Models
Mental Models - Resources
Mental Models - Systems
Mental Models - Numeracy
- What if everything we think…
LATEST ARTICLES
Why You Should Embrace Anomalies - The Incredible Value Of Disconfirming Evidence
Amazing Grace - The Majesty And The Mercy of Freedom From Your Pain
The Transformative Power Of Acceptance
Inversion - The Power Of Opposite Thinking
Are You Aligned With Reality? Or Do You See What You Believe?
The Law Of Response and Outcome
Clear Thinking - Turning Ordinary Moments Into Extraordinary Results
Self Dialogue - Working With Your Many Selves
The Balanced Brain - The Ultimate Route To Personal Transformation
How To Make Better Decisions - By Avoiding The Narrative Trap
The Greatest Love - The Most Important Relationship You Will Ever Have
Everything Is Connected And Why You Don't Feel It
Who Is In Charge Of Your Brain?
How To Be A Winner On A Very Large Scale
The Metagame Approach To Life
- Being better by doing things d…Shantideva - The Way Of The Bodhisattva
Reframing History - Deconstruction And Discussion Not Destruction
Tao Te Ching - Connecting To Your True Source Of Power.
How Things Really Are - The Inbuilt Design Flaws
Intuition Or Anxiety - Are There Angels Or Devils Crawling Here?
What Is Truth - How To Tell A Partial Truth From The Whole Truth?
Duality And Life Beyond Your Thinking Mind
The Conscious Mind Is Limited - Be Aware And Be Prepared
Your Inner Map Of Reality - Here's Why You Think The Way You Do
The Failure Of Cancel Culture - Suppression Not Engagement
4 Big Reasons Why We Get Stuck In Our Attempts At Personal Change
How Do I Change And Why Is It So Hard?
The Illusion Of A Separate Self - Windows 11 With Self Awareness!
Finite And Infinite Games - Dazed, Confused & Ultimately Transcendent
The Gap And The Gain - How Your Brain Sabotages Your Happiness