“Thinking is difficult, that’s why most people judge.” – Carl Jung
Before Precision Thinking closes tomorrow, I want to share a few of my favorite mental models:
Simple principles that will guide your thinking to deeper clarity, accuracy, and creative power.
Let’s begin.
1. Don’t believe your mind.
“Trust no one, not even yourself.” – Elon Musk
The ultimate, never-to-be-forgotten rule of thinking:
Our mind lies.
Whenever you feel certain, sure of yourself, or locked in your point of view, ask the magic question:
Why is this not true?
Our thoughts are not facts, and certainty is the death of thinking.
Everything must be questioned, especially your own mind.
2. Break it into parts.
“The difference between good and exceptional isn’t hours worked – it’s the depth of thought applied to the right problems.” – Shane Parrish
There are two steps to thinking:
- Deconstruct
- Reconstruct
First, break the problem, question, or situation down into it’s components.
Next, break the solution down into clear steps.
Then, get to work.
No problem is too big to solve when broken down into enough parts.
3. Never think emotionally.
“Fear weaponizes your imagination against you.” – Jed McKenna
Emotion clouds judgement like rain clouds a windshield.
Always let the storm pass before you decide what to do about it.
4. Seek simplicity.
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Steve Jobs
Beware of complicated answers and extreme points of view.
The simplest answer is usually the right one.
5. Spot the problems.
“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
Our mind evolved to look for threats in our environment, which means we are better at finding problems than solutions.
That’s not a bug in the system, it’s a feature — and you can take advantage of it by asking:
How could this be wrong?
Why might our plan fail?
What dangers might be waiting for us up ahead?
Spotting problems in advance is the only way to protect yourself from them.
Plus:
Within every problem there is a solution — once you spot the problem, flip it upside down and the solution appears.
Powerful.
6. BONUS: Think in writing.
Fundamentally, thinking is asking and answering questions.
Doing this in writing — on the page (or computer screen), where you can see it in front of you — is exponentially easier than doing it in your head.
The process is simple:
- Write the question
- Answer it
Repeat often.
Okay, that’s all for now.
Much, much more inside Precision Thinking, available until tomorrow at midnight.
Here’s where you can join us before the doors close.
– T
P.S. Okay, one more:
7. Keep thinking.
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – Albert Einstein
Your first answer is rarely your best answer.
To find gold, you gotta dig for it.
Alright, now I’m done 🙂
More here.
