9 Mental Models You Can Use to Think Like a Genius
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.
The quality of our thinking is proportional to the models in our head and their usefulness in the situation. The more models you have-the bigger your toolbox-the more likely you will have the right models to see reality. In this video, you'll learn nine new mental models you can use to see the world in a unique way.
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00:00 - What is a mental model
01:54 - The Map is not the Territory
03:08 - Circle of Competence
04:08 - Second Order Thinking
05:38 - Probabilistic thinking
06:55 - Inversion
07:47 - Occam’s Razor
09:02 - Hanlon’s Razor
09:40 - Reciprocity
10:12 - Activation Energy
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ABOUT FARNAM STREET
Like the mentor you’ve always dreamed of having, Farnam Street helps you master the best of what other people have already figured out.
My favorite mental models that have made the biggest impact in my life are: Reversal, Roots(first principles thinking), ROI, Synergy and Systems, Yin-Yang Effect, Chokepoints, Iterative Cycles/Feedback Loops, Galilean Relativity, Pattern Interrupt and Negative Cues.
wow is there any books that list all these models? any sources??
> Yin-Yang Effect Do you mean dialectics?
Karma, cause and effect @@ukrainetoday960
@@smitakdhar5040 How to Think Like a Rocket Scientist is a great choice. One of my personal favorite books, my favorite chapter being the one on asking better questions. Much of these have come from my own personal experimentation over the years.
@@ukrainetoday960 Most of these models act as a kind of "parent" model; think of a box to categorize items based on their corresponding similarities. The mind organizes and stores information based on association. Think of a spiderweb with insects caught in it; each insect is a different node of information connected via the web. By simply associating an idea with another one I already have I find I'm able to retain it much easier. I've associated the Yin-Yang with many concepts affiliated with it, and it's become a symbol for the idea of paradoxes and multi-dimensional thinking. Open-mindedness, Interconnectedness, Negative Capability, or asking myself "why not both?" have all become examples of the Yin-Yang Effect. So by simply recalling the "Yin-Yang" I'm able to bring to mind all these associative "small models." In Cognitive Psychology this is called "chunking." ROI thinking is simply asking myself "how could I yield the highest ROI?" This automatically triggers thinking that leads me to using the 80/20 principle, second/third order thinking, simplicity/cognitive load, and a thought experiment on how to make things more effortless as a natural consequence.
I am absolutely obsessed with this channel and blog - it's definitely my new favorite! 😄
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🌍 Mental models simplify complex realities, helping us understand the world better. 01:51 🗺️ "Map is not the territory" - Maps are imperfect representations of reality; understand the actual territory before making decisions. 03:14 🎯 Circle of competence - Stick to decisions within your expertise; consult experts for decisions outside your competence. 04:27 🐍 Second-order thinking - Consider consequences beyond immediate results to avoid unintended outcomes. 05:53 📊 Probabilistic thinking - Estimate the likelihood of outcomes using math and logic to make more accurate decisions. 07:02 🔄 Inversion - Think about failure and what might cause it to set goals and priorities for success. 08:00 🧩 Occam's razor - Prefer simpler explanations over complicated ones; helps in problem-solving. 08:57 🤔 Hanlon's razor - Attribute actions to incompetence rather than malice when someone upsets you. 09:55 🤝 Reciprocity - Kindness begets kindness, and mistreatment may result in reciprocated mistreatment. 10:54 ⚡ Activation energy - Use catalysts like coffee or inspiration to lower the energy required to start tasks. Made with HARPA AI
thank u pal
Love your use of Harpa in several videos here and there. Great work, keep ‘em coming.👏🌟👍
For some reason honestly, I remember what I read in books more than videos. But anyways, Your book too was indeed amazing! You worth the praise! Thanks a lot!!!
Wow guys! I was struggling to finish with the books I had downloaded but this is fantastic 😍 i just checked out your articles and i think I'll be hooked to it
I can confidently say that One of the best channels I have ever discovered, as your topics spark creativity, and is thought provoking❤
I love that this is in video format! Well done guys. Fire🔥
awesome..bring more of these...and the newsletter is awesome bro
That last Model from Chemistry really hit home for me. Thank you
Great review of these valuable concepts!
Please keep making your fabulous timestamps! ❤
Only 3k views? The production and info are invaluable!
Superb informative. Thank you.
Thanks for all your great advice. I really enjoy watching your videos, they provide a lot of knowledge and are very helpful on a daily basis in choosing food when shopping, etc. Thank you ❤✨
Beautifully said.
Excellent introduction. Phenomenal verbal, keep up the good work!
Excellent video. Thanks
Great content!!! Thank you
Excellent video. Unique content.
The activation energy required is particularly high in inviduals with ADHD. Coffee helps, the right meds, but often it is about harnessing ideas, or worse, anxiety…
From my Joel Osteen Cube... Would you do it for me? - God
Hey FS! I am Vishal Jhaveri. I have watched ample videos on this intriguing topics of self-improvements + Following & doing things efficiently + Productivity. Your content is real good. But just my suggestion if you can make the content much engaging by putting some more images & giving some more examples so that we can relate to it on the same. Also if you can explain those things in a little simpler way. Basically, the content delivery thing - you can improve a little bit. Good work. Love from India!
Excellent video!
Mental models are like the compass of the mind, guiding us through the uncharted waters of life. They help us navigate complexity, make better decisions, and understand the world with clarity. Learning and applying these models is truly a journey to wisdom. 🌟🧠 #MentalModels #NavigateLife
Phenomenal, subscribed.
I recall some of the models from the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Hands down the best video I’ve seen in this platform for years.
crazy ❤🎉 thank you 😊
These mental models help us see our blindspots and make bettet decisions. Thanks.
Awesome. 🎉
I think like this but there is a way you can take this a step further by considering the functions that improve mental models or models in general. Say curiosity when cultivated is a function that increase the rate of improvement of your models (generally) this can also be tied to all these ideas of balance we keep hearing about (neither extreme is good you must seek moderation) and it can be used to define what an object is which is a stable state that our models have tended toward and a solution we made to solve a specific problem (chairs are aj example) I could probably phrase this better but this is an idea I’ve had in development for a month or so and it works great for thinking in paradigms
This can be used to generate fun hypotheticals human intelligence Aliens probably would stumble upon the concept of God or other concepts. Certain ideas like the letter A are probably non negligibly likely to reemerge because it was a symbol likely developed from observing our environment and making a simple drawing to represent it. (Why do we converge on certain solutions to problems) Because we have the capacity to value or make value judgements (this is the furthest I’ve gotten to) The world will likely continue to get better and dystopia is inherently less stable because nobody likes dystopia
I’ve yapped enough but I’m very passionate about this idea
Thank you
A use of the activation energy model that wasn't mentioned in the video: If you are trying to end bad habits, increase the activation energy required to do that habit, while decreasing the activation energy required to do a replacement habit.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🧠 *Introduction to Mental Models* - Definition of a mental model as a representation of how the world works. - Importance of mental models in simplifying complex information. - Example of individuals in a forest and the concept of sharing specialized knowledge. 01:51 🗺️ *Map is Not the Territory* - Explanation of the mental model "Map is not the territory." - Emphasis on the imperfection of maps and representations. - Caution against making decisions based solely on assumptions, maps, and summaries. 03:14 🔍 *Circle of Competence* - Definition of "Circle of Competence" and its simplicity. - Importance of evaluating decisions within one's area of expertise. - Reference to Tom Watson's quote about staying within one's spots of genius. 04:27 🔄 *Second Order Thinking* - Distinction between first and second order thinking. - The Cobra effect story illustrating the consequences of not considering second-order effects. - Encouragement to think holistically and anticipate the broader consequences of actions. 05:22 🎲 *Probabilistic Thinking* - Definition and importance of probabilistic thinking. - Example of evaluating the likelihood of a car break-in using probabilities. - Emphasis on avoiding binary thinking and considering probabilities for a more accurate understanding. 06:47 ⬆️ *Inversion* - Explanation of inversion as a thinking tool. - Importance of approaching situations by considering what might cause failure. - Reference to Charlie Munger's quote about avoiding failure spots. 07:31 🗝️ *Simplicity - Occam's Razor* - Introduction to Occam's Razor and the principle of simplicity. - Advantages of choosing simpler explanations over complex ones. - Application of Occam's Razor in various fields, including science and problem-solving. 08:57 🤔 *Hanlon's Razor* - Explanation of Hanlon's Razor and its significance. - Caution against attributing to malice what can be explained by incompetence. - Practical examples of applying Hanlon's Razor in daily life. 09:55 🔄 *Reciprocity* - Definition of reciprocity and its role in human interactions. - The principle that treating others with kindness leads to reciprocal kindness. - The importance of understanding reciprocity in building relationships. 10:26 ⚗️ *Activation Energy* - Introduction to the concept of activation energy from chemistry. - The analogy of catalysts lowering activation energy in chemical reactions. - Application of activation energy in everyday tasks and projects. Made with HARPA AI
Life could’ve been simple but we love making it more complicated
Inversion my fav. Kind of fear based.
Believe me,there are times when people no longer want to be their friend and they never really WERE your "friend." Especially a "friend" that they met on Facebook.
nice video, srsly!❤
Sometimes the most important ideas are not watched by a big number and thats the reason they are not in top 1%. FS lots of love from us contrarians we love you ❤
What do you mean by the top 1%
I think I have a insight because I did actively ( abeit I believe to be incompletely) try to be like the first part of the video said "Expand your toolkit with concepts from other disciplines" and it has been sometime and I must it does feel surreal that I can sense the similarities btw these 9 concepts or at least feel like they cross intersected somewhere, like for example the first model can be applied to all the latter models, the second razor one is just the first razor one but in a social situation, the second last is just Newton's 3rd law but abstracted, generalised and more. So my insight is in someway they are similar, connected somewhere, using together brings out the greatest value Usually I would end it there but I want add somethings: 2 mistakes I made is that assuming they are all independant and they are all related abosutely somehow, U can use the First n Fourth model to think about this, maybe also use 2nd Order thinking but more like Secondary Princinple thinking? I am not sure to think everything as a decision but it would be intresting to think such
Excellent!
affective rippling effects an outcomes implications impact
I try to use another aspect of activation energy model.. Activation energy is the minimum energy required by a system for the reaction to take place. Lets say it needs to be heated to 100 deg Celsius(heat is the activation energy). Until it reaches 100deg nothing seems to happen to the system but once that temperature is reached the reaction suddenly happens almost out of nowhere. When we are working towards a goal there are times when nothing seems to be happening. We need to figure out what is the activation energy for it to work. If we think we are doing everything correct, then it is just a matter of persistence!!
that's a wonderful insight
yes, 99.99% of gamblers give up before they win the jackpot
Reminds me of the Minimum Effective Dose idea that Tim Ferris talked about in the 4 Hour Chef.
@joeking6972 have not read that.. will check it out.. thank you
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🧠 *Mental models are tools for understanding and solving complex problems and seeing the world uniquely.* 00:13 🌐 *Mental models represent how the world works, simplifying complex realities.* 00:27 🌳 *Different professionals view the same situation (like a forest) differently, based on their mental models.* 01:24 🔧 *Learning various mental models from different disciplines expands our understanding of the world.* 01:51 🗺️ *The "Map is not the Territory" model emphasizes that representations of reality are not the reality itself.* 03:14 🎯 *"Circle of Competence" model: understanding our areas of expertise and limitations.* 04:12 🌀 *"Second Order Thinking" involves considering the broader and longer-term impacts of actions.* 05:08 🐍 *The "Cobra Effect" demonstrates the unintended consequences of not thinking ahead.* 05:37 🎲 *"Probabilistic Thinking" involves estimating the likelihood of various outcomes.* 07:02 🔍 *"Inversion" focuses on avoiding failure rather than just aiming for success.* 07:47 ✂️ *"Occam's Razor" favors simpler explanations over more complex ones.* 09:12 🤔 *"Hanlon's Razor" suggests incompetence is more likely than malice in misunderstandings.* 09:42 🔄 *"Reciprocity" posits that actions often elicit similar responses from others.* 10:12 ⚡ *"Activation Energy" in chemistry can be applied to overcoming inertia in tasks.* Made with HARPA AI
Yes sharing
to know that coffee gets me going I dont need to know 'activation energy' mental model..
Great summary of the 3 hrs 223 minutes book.
It makes me think of the "judgments by the peers". They unfortunately seeing onlynat one point of view. SyIndics should be a multidisciplinary committee from different social professionals to examine from different angles to come up with a more just, fair and realistic siruation and outcome.
Very related
Gold
Nope, they just don't want to be my friends. They're out to get me. They hate me. :) hehehehe Excellent video. Thanks. I recommend this video to 'all'' my acquaintancees ... who usually end up hating me, and seldom want to be my friend(s) ... hummm. ;)
The cobra problem😁
Smart people.
this is a Genius video
I think because of energy, the limitation of our brain allows us to understand only a representation of realities. We can not fit everything in this universe in this tiny brain.
Perfect explanation 👌🏼
Lol duh
Is not that our brain is tiny therefore there's no room but instead there's no need/call/reason for our brain to mind business out of our reach.
GenAI could provide activation energy , but it is just a map not the territory
5:20 fs Blogs, Newsletter, Books
these are similar to the 7 habbits by Stephen Covey....
Interesting video, but there is a tiny contradiction there: If map is simpler than territory and if simpler explanations are more likely to be true, then the territory is less likely to be true than map... and yet we know that territory IS true and map isnt. Does it mean that truth is less likely to be truth than a lie? That cannot be quite right, either one advice is wrong or there is some explanation missing. Also that quote: "All i want to know is where i am going to die so i ll never go there" - Well, that is not really a way to avoid death, he would obviously die somewhere else. I supose it was meant as a joke, but it is also a clear example of situation where inversion DOESNT work.
Ur wrong dumbest lol
9:00 Occam's Razor is a bad example now. Conspiracy theorists have been mostly correct over the last 3 years, despite simply WORDED alternatives. So, it may be better to point out that simplified solutions are not simple explanations, they are semantic explanations that may refer to complex phenomena which are more familiar to the listener. Attributing a human virus to a bat sounds simple, but is actually complex bordering on more complex than human understanding has yet achieved.
So your saying the botanist can’t see the forest for the trees?
Dang rip Charlie Munger
Farnam Street is underrated. After all its not for everyone
if YOU could Do THAT YOU would not waste 1 second here Do it!
This is a summary of the video. Please watch the video first and then come to this comment to recall. Mental models are simplified representations of how the world works. They help us understand and navigate the complex world by applying familiar concepts to unfamiliar situations. Each person sees the world through their own set of mental models, which can limit their understanding to what they already know. By learning different mental models from various disciplines, we can gain a broader perspective and reduce our blind spots. Here are the 9 mental models mentioned in the video: 1. 🗺 **Map is Not the Territory**: Emphasizes that representations of reality are not the same as reality itself. Maps and models are simplifications and should not be mistaken for the real thing. 2. 🎯 **Circle of Competence**: Focuses on understanding what we know well (our area of competence) and recognizing the limits of our knowledge. This helps in making better decisions within our area of expertise and consulting experts when necessary. 3. 🐍 **Second Order Thinking (Cobra Effect)**: Encourages thinking beyond the immediate consequences of actions to consider the consequences of the consequences, as illustrated by the Cobra Effect story. 4. 🎲 **Probabilistic Thinking**: Involves estimating the likelihood of different outcomes using logic and math, rather than seeing things in black-and-white terms. 5. 🔄 **Inversion**: Approaches problems from the opposite end of the natural starting point. Instead of focusing on what success looks like, it considers what failure looks like and how to avoid it. 6. ✂ **Occam's Razor**: Suggests that simpler explanations are more likely to be true than complex ones. This principle helps in problem-solving by focusing on solutions with the fewest assumptions. 7. 🤖 **Hanlon's Razor**: Advises not to attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence or misunderstanding. It helps in interpreting others' actions more benignly. 8. 💞 **Reciprocity (Principle of Reciprocation)**: States that actions often result in an equal and opposite reaction. Kindness begets kindness, and hostility begets hostility. 9. 🔥 **Activation Energy**: From chemistry, this model explains that certain tasks require a specific amount of energy to get started. Identifying and reducing barriers (activation energy) can help initiate and maintain action. Understanding and using these mental models can significantly improve problem-solving skills, decision-making, and overall perception of the world. They provide various lenses through which to view situations, leading to more informed and effective actions.
people is the job
This depends on what type of genius you want to be.MY type of genius doesn't own a car and could care less about owning one.
Crime ko rokne par double ho jate hain-"moral of the story "
You are wrong about conspiracies. Once an official story seems suspect and problematic, there is no need to prove every detail of a possible conspiracy to suggest that there is one, and the simplest explanation is in fact false because it doesn't account for, or casually dismisses, the indications of foul play.
7:37 aged like milk ⚰
Can we call this a latticework theory?
,👍
Reciprocity - The person who originated the Golden Rule also said "Moreover, stop judging, and you will by no means be judged; and stop condemning, and you will by no means be condemned. Keep on forgiving, and you will be forgiven. Practice giving, and people will give to you. They will pour into your laps a fine measure, pressed down, shaken together, and overflowing. For with the measure that you are measuring out, they will measure out to you in return.” L6:37,38.
Giggity
Charlie, it'd be a hospital in California.
9:46 Newton's third law has a new name ?
Dude the butt chin
WTF!!!! 😱 This is a glitch in the matrix!!
No! No one is a genius but they all are using some very important skill...
Did James Clear turn into Warren Buffet by using these models? No!!
people so angry Question why no one
Present government does not know how to stop the crime which are created for its (government)benefits.❤ Russian government ko information Dene k liye intelligence hai,us government se haath milakar samosa party k liye intelligence hai par desh k liye ek technology ko highlight karne ka samay nahin,wo bhi usa kar rahi hai 🙏😎❤️🙏❤️
Did GOD make me a GENIUS? 🤔
No he made you normal … he made me a genius
@Seeker-bj4ct no ur stupid
And ur not a genuis guy I am smarter than both of u combined idiots
You think its weird and i think that its thr right thing, so keep your opinion for yourself and for the losers you follow.
Why u mad lil bro
@@manthes8541 no bro, it's just a quote that I read so long time ago and I just liked to share it with the righteous ones like you. So don't misunderstand the main meaning. It's just a way of expressing an idea. It's an old science that called zaborkosh . With all Love 💜😍😘
@@WassimMohamed1985 well ok bro 👍
@@WassimMohamed1985what’s zaborkosh? No google results
Thanks Captain Obvious.
People can anything with a great tone and still be great. Unbelievable
I think it doesn't works for all
Great channel, but That chin is very distracting 😅
Long intro of nothingness
Useless.
This seems like a pseudoscience to me.