Inspired by Charlie Munger's concept of mental models as frameworks or cognitive tools that help us understand and interpret the world, Mental Models features the mental models that I use in my own life to understand and navigate life. These models cover a range of areas, including strategy, psychology, relationships, investing, and more.
War of life
Life is in a continual struggle with the law of entropy. Every action you take has a cost.
Risk-reward inversion
Reducing risk of failure increases the chances of reaping reward.
Positioning framework
Focus not on achieving results, but achieving sustainable results over an indefinite period of time. This is achieved by occupying and developing a vantage point - a winning position - by which you can easily achieve the results you want with minimal hindrance.
Little wins
Building a strong position requires accumulating little advantages that augment your capabilities and resources.
Minimalist framework
What you are aiming for is not results, but minimal effort and expense to achieve maximum effect.
Cooperation, not compliance
The greatest power is to foster cooperation, not compliance, with others. This builds trust and willingness. You want people - team, spouse, children, students, etc. - to work with you, not for you.
Yin yang
Every process has two components: an active component (yang) and a passive (yin) component. The active component constitutes the process; the passive component conditions it. No understanding of a process is complete without understanding these two components.
Accreditation
People tend to like and trust the ideas they believe they came up with and mistrust the ideas of others. The key to successful cooperation is letting others take some or all of the credit.
Dissonance
People are more likely to act when they experience a form of "dissonance" - a discomfort, problem, or challenge that motivates them to seek a solution.