Base Rate Neglect
I love this model. Being aware of base rates is such a powerful way to be right more often when… Read More »Base Rate Neglect
Psychology
Self Reported vs. Actual Data
I started thinking about this mental model in the context of my study and work in statistics and data engineering/data… Read More »Self Reported vs. Actual Data
Emotional Labor
I think about this a lot. Leading a team takes a lot of hidden emotional labor. Having a family takes… Read More »Emotional Labor
Hedonic Offset
I lived as a chronic procrastinator for a long time. If a task was boring, stressful, or both, I would… Read More »Hedonic Offset
Stereotyping
The difference between how we treat positive stereotypes vs negative stereotypes has always driven me a bit nuts. I wrote… Read More »Stereotyping
Stay in Your Comfort Zone
Note: I first published this Comfort Zone post here on Medium many years ago. In some ways it’s just a… Read More »Stay in Your Comfort Zone
‘Askers’ vs. ‘Guessers’
I love those moments when you come across a mental model that crystallizes a bunch of mental loose ends –… Read More »‘Askers’ vs. ‘Guessers’
Status Quo Bias
The more I dive into the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain, the more I am starting to notice my own… Read More »Status Quo Bias
Rationality
I’ve thought and read and written a fair bit on the topic of rationality. Or should I say, irrationality. Irrationality… Read More »Rationality
Chesterton’s Fence
What is Chesterton’s Fence? Chesterton’s fence is the principle that reforms should not be made until the reasoning behind the… Read More »Chesterton’s Fence
Emotions
The best thing I’ve read on emotions is, unsurprisingly – Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. The physiological side of emotions… Read More »Emotions
Emotional Contagion
Here’s my newsletter issue on Emotional Contagion published today. It’s not my best writing but it’s one of my favorite… Read More »Emotional Contagion
Blind Tasting
I am always skeptical when people are sipping expensive wine and raving about how good it is. Vodka connoisseurs concern… Read More »Blind Tasting
Therapy
This old Bob Newhart clip cracks me up every time. Her acting is easily as good as his!
Diagrams
I’m big believer in writing, but I think in some areas there’s nothing better than a good diagram. Flowcharts, data… Read More »Diagrams
Decision Making
The science of decision making is something that has fascinated me for years. Partly from a macro philosophical perspective –… Read More »Decision Making
Reframing
I love this old Taoist parable: A farmer in a poor village was considered very well-to-do, because he owned a… Read More »Reframing
Self Awareness
Learn to ask of all actions, “Why are they doing that?” Starting with your own Marcus Aurelius Acknowledging ignorance The… Read More »Self Awareness
Bayes’ Rule
Bayes’ rule (sometimes know as Bayes’ theorem) is a law of probability theory which governs how to revise prior probabilistic beliefs – how much… Read More »Bayes’ Rule
The Halo Effect
What is The Halo Effect? I wrote about The Halo Effect in Issue #11 of Mental Models Weekly. The Reverse… Read More »The Halo Effect
Vulnerability
Doesn’t the word vulnerability get overused now? It’s become so cliche, but that doesn’t mean it’s become unimportant. The risk… Read More »Vulnerability
Mindfulness
I focus a lot on being present. Whether with family or friends or even just when alone. Being present I… Read More »Mindfulness
Intuition
Intuition is not a mystical thing. Expert intuition strikes us as magical, but it is not. Indeed, each of us… Read More »Intuition
Contradictory Platitudes
If you think about confirmation bias long enough, you start to notice that most platitudes and proverbs have a contradictory… Read More »Contradictory Platitudes
Illusions
I love optical illusions as a metaphor to remember that perception is not reality. I once thought about getting the… Read More »Illusions
Satisficing
Satificing is one of my favorite mental models. Every day we make so many small low-impact decisions. Learning about “satisficing”… Read More »Satisficing
Sensory Food
I love this concept of sensory food. You are the books you read, the films you watch, the music you… Read More »Sensory Food
New Year’s Resolutions
I love the turn of the year. An arbitrary secular forgiveness of sins for the year past, and a fresh… Read More »New Year’s Resolutions
Reading
Think before you speak. Read before you think. Fran Lebowitz I read widely. I am old enough to have grown… Read More »Reading
Mental Models
If you just want to go straight to the Mental Models weekly newsletter please do. What is a mental model?… Read More »Mental Models