#2: What are mental models
Hi,
Today I plan to expand on what are mental models and how they can help you to become better thinkers.
There is enough written about mental models. So I will only give a brief overview and leave some resources for you to explore.
Introducing: Charlie Munger
Latticework on mental models as an idea was popularised by Charlie Munger. Calling him just the right hand of Warren Buffett is a gross misunderstanding. He is an independent intellectual in his own right. More about him here and here.
“I believe in the discipline of mastering the best of what other people have figured out” - Charlie Munger
This idea has been popularised by Charlie and used by him in his pursuit of learning. While trying to impersonate any person will not get you anywhere, understanding what they do and how they do it, will help you in finding your path to glory.
Mental model: What is it?
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.
“"I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail” ~Abraham Maslow
You do not want to be the one with only a hammer. You should be equipped with an entire toolbox. You can then approach a problem and solve it. You can then make the right decisions. Mental models when used together act as the toolbox. A latticework of mental models in your mind will help you face life.
Mental model: Problem-solving and decision making
“I don’t want to be a great problem-solver. I want to avoid problems - prevent them from happening and doing it right from the beginning” ~ Peter Bevlin
Once you learn about the best of the mental models from various fields out there, you should be able to tackle most of the problems, if not completely avoid them.
Problems are multi-faceted, you can not approach them with a single model. You need to approach them with the entire toolbox. The same applies to decisions as well. They are multi-faceted. Using the latticework of your mental models should help you make the correct decision over time.
But, having the toolbox is not sufficient, you need to learn when to use which tool and when not to use them. This requires time, patience and perseverance.
Mental model: Not a magic pill
As a word of caution, none of the mental models are correct. They are situationally correct. Mental models from each field can be used in several different fields but in different contexts.
“Remember that all models are wrong: the practical question to ask is how wrong do they have to be to not be useful” ~ George Box
Mental model: In the words of Charlie
“You have to learn all the big ideas in the key disciplines in a way that they’re in a mental latticework in your head and you automatically use them for the rest of your life. If you do that, I solemnly promise you that one day you’ll be walking down the street and you’ll look to your right and left and you’ll think "my heavenly days, I’m now one of the few competent people in my whole age cohort." If you don’t do it, many of the brightest of you will live in the middle ranks or in the shallows.” ~ Charlie Munger
The objective of this blog is to explore how we can use various mental models in different fields and we shall together explore this as life happens!
This is a completely free post with the only expectation of receiving your thoughts, ideas, and feedback on what I write (and what I missed!). You can send it by way of commenting or replying to this email.
Bonus:
A very good post by Shane Parish at Farnam Street on Mental models: Charlie Munger: Adding Mental Tools to Your Toolbox
If you got 20 more minutes maybe listen to below:
Explore with your minds!
Best,
Naitik Shah