Mental Models: The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions

Second-Order Thinking

Second-­order thinking is a method of thinking that goes beyond the surface level, beyond the knee-­jerk reactions and short-­term gains. It asks us to play the long game, to anticipate the ripple effects of our actions, and to make choices that will benefit us not just today but in the months and years to come.

Second-order t... See more

A mental model is simply a representation of how something works. We cannot keep all of the details of the world in our brains, so we use models to simplify the complex into understandable and organizable chunks.

A mental model is a simplified explanation of how something works.

Species tend to adapt to their surroundings in order to survive, given the combination of their genetics and their environment – an always-unavoidable combination. However, adaptations made in an individual’s lifetime are not passed down genetically, as was once thought: Populations of species adapt through the process of evolution by natural selec... See more

Mental models help us understand the world. For example, velocity shows that both speed and direction matter. Reciprocity reveals how being positive and taking initiative gets the world to do most of the work for you. Margin of Safety reminds us that things don’t always go as planned. Relativity exposes our blind spots and shows how a different per... See more