Via Negativa
Statues are carved by subtraction.
Michelangelo was asked by the pope about the secret of his genius, particularly how he carved the statue of David, largely considered the masterpiece of all masterpieces. His answer was: “It’s simple. I just remove everything that is not David.”
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“It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”
– Charlie Munger
Via negativa: In theology and philosophy, the focus on what something is not, an indirect definition. In action, it is a recipe for what to avoid, what not to do—subtraction, not addition, say, in medicine.
Thomas Waschenfelder • What Is Via Negativa? - Definition, Examples, and More - Nassim Taleb, Naval Ravikant Mental Models — Wealest
I don’t believe I have the ability to say what is going to work. Rather, I try to eliminate what’s not going to work. I think being successful is just about not making mistakes. It’s not about having correct judgment. It’s about avoiding incorrect judgments.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Via Negativa: The Power of Knowing What Not to Do
Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
The method began as an avoidance of direct description, leading to a focus on negative description, what is called in Latin via negativa, the negative way, after theological traditions, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Via negativa does not try to express what God is— leave that to the primitive brand of contemporary thinkers and philos... See more
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What Is a Premortem Analysis?
Premortem Analysis is based on the familiar concept of a post-mortem, or autopsy. During an autopsy, a pathologist examines a body to determine the cause of death. When a Premortem Analysis is conducted, nobody has died. At least not yet. The goal is to contemplate the reasons for potential failure before it happens. T... See more
Premortem Analysis is based on the familiar concept of a post-mortem, or autopsy. During an autopsy, a pathologist examines a body to determine the cause of death. When a Premortem Analysis is conducted, nobody has died. At least not yet. The goal is to contemplate the reasons for potential failure before it happens. T... See more
Premortem Analysis: How to Anticipate Failure
“Invert, always invert: Turn a situation or problem upside down. Look at it backwards. What happens if all our plans go wrong? Where don’t we want to go, and how do you get there?
"Instead of looking for success, make a list of how to fail instead–through sloth, envy, resentment, self-pity, entitlement, all the mental habits of self-defeat. Avoid t... See more
"Instead of looking for success, make a list of how to fail instead–through sloth, envy, resentment, self-pity, entitlement, all the mental habits of self-defeat. Avoid t... See more
Inversion
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