All Models Are Wrong

All are models or maps that simplify some complex territory in order to guide you through it. Just because maps and models are flawed is not an excuse to ignore them. Maps are useful to the extent they are explanatory and predictive.

Everything we think we know about the world is a model. Every word and every language is a model. All maps and statistics, books and databases, equations and computer programs are models. So are the ways I picture the world in my head—my mental models. None of these is or ever will be the real world. Our models usually have a strong congruence with

Not every model applies to all situations. Part of building a latticework of mental models is about educating yourself regarding which situations are best addressed by which models. This takes some work and is not without error.