Saved by Anne-Laure Le Cunff and
Thinking in maps: from the Lascaux caves to knowledge graphs
Maps have long been a part of human society. They are valuable tools to pass on knowledge. Still, in using maps, abstractions, and models, we must always be wise to their limitations. They are, by definition, reductions of something far more complex. There is always at least an element of subjectivity, and we need to remember that they are created
... See moreRhiannon Beaubien • The Great Mental Models Volume 1: General Thinking Concepts
A map, in other words, is an arrangement of symbols into a system of meaning — and we use maps because we understand the language of signs that undergirds them. If the mapping of space was a human invention, she explained, one could also invent a means of mapping time.
Susan Schulten • Emma Willard's Maps of Time
A map, compared with text, makes it easier to see and understand how a complex system fits together. It also has the potential to show roadblocks, dead ends, and relationships in a way that brings the big picture to life.
Lee LeFever • The Art of Explanation
The first, and most obvious thing, is that they are visual. If I was going to move a piece on a map then I could point to where it was and where it needed to go. Navigation was visual but that was normal. Except, I realised it wasn’t. When people stopped me in their cars to find their way to the nearest petrol station — this was 2004 and GPS was st... See more
Simon Wardley • Highlights From medium.com
Mental models are really just compact ways for you to recall your own knowledge. [78]
Tim Ferriss • The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness
What do people need to understand? What are the edges of the map or diagram? What are you not mapping or diagramming? Where will other people see this map or diagram (e.g., on a wall, in a presentation, on paper)?