As we scan our information sources, we need to be most keenly attuned to what does not fit with our frameworks and mental models.

detect broad patterns rather than to deliver specific answers; and to invent something new by combining elements nobody else thought to pair.”4

“Getting comfortable with ‘I’m not sure’ is a vital step to being a better decision maker,” says Duke. “We have to make peace with not knowing.”

For many jobs “know-who” is as or more important than “know-how.” If you know who to ask, you don’t need the knowledge yourself. It is not just a question of knowing who to ask; it requires a relationship that results in people taking the time and effort to help you. Networks of knowledge are also networks of trust and reciprocity.

The ability to bring together diverse viewpoints into a richer, more sophisticated whole is at the center of continually improving your mental models in an increasingly complex world.

you need to establish a consistent set of portals and habits that support your objectives. These will include daily routines as well as some sources accessed less regularly.

changed the neural circuitry in their brains to produce highly specialized mental representations, which in turn make possible the incredible memory, pattern recognition, problem-solving, and other sorts of advanced abilities needed to excel in their particular specialties,”

As we grow to understand cognitive bias, we need to be highly attentive to whether we want new information to be true.

Rather than sources, we should think about “portals,” the doorways through which we discover information, each with distinctive characteristics in how they filter and aggregate inputs.