Adopting the right Mental Models will increase your chances of success in life and work. Sharing this book with your team members would be a great way to build an understanding of each other’s mental models. A good book to reinforce your existing thinking patterns but also a way to learn new mental models to improve your thinking. Mental models describe the way the world works. They are how you infer causality, match patterns, and draw analogies.
A mental model is simply a representation of how you think something works. Charlie Munger recommends that 80–90 mental models will carry you through 90% of life. A map is a model of reality. It is not reality itself. Maps are always a snapshot in time.
Therefore they can represent something that no longer exists. When maps are created it includes the creator’s biases, assumptions, and beliefs. This is important to keep in mind as you think through problems and make better decisions.
If you know the first principles of something, you can build the rest of your knowledge around them. First-principles thinking is one of the best ways to reverse-engineer complicated situations. Reasoning from first principles allows you to step outside of history and conventional wisdom. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble. When making choices, considering consequences can help you avoid future problems.
There are two approaches to applying inversion in your life. Start by assuming that what you’re trying to prove is either true or false, then show what else would have to be true. Instead of aiming directly for your goal, think deeply about what you want to avoid. When you see something you don’t like happen and which seems wrong, you assume it’s intentional. But it’s more likely that it’s completely unintentional.
The explanation most likely to be right is the one that contains the least amount of intent. Instead of generally assuming that bad results are the fault of a bad actor, you should look for options instead of missing opportunities.
Random Citizen 