Learn Widely, Think Critically and Act Effectively
In an increasingly complex world, decision making is becoming more challenging in the matters of our day-to-day lives, professions and businesses. With technology at our finger tips and an obsession with “to stay connected” or “being informed in real time” to the latest news and information has incapacitated us to think critically and act effectively. In my view, many of us are either not aware or don’t fully understand the value of perennial wisdom available to us over centuries, which can save us from making bad decisions in all facets of lives. This wisdom has been used by many successful leaders and innovators, which can be translated into “mental models”, a tool-box, to prepare us in dealing with complex societal problems. Many recent examples of these mental models are proposed, developed and advocated by critical thinkers like Nassim Taleb (Author of Incerto series), Naval Ravikant (an innovator and investor), Charlie Munger (past vice chairperson of Berkshire Hathaway) and Steve Jobs (needs no introduction) etc. These mental models provide us “worldly wisdom”, which is extracted from all sorts of disciplines including natural and applied sciences, human nature and psychology, social sciences, creative arts, humanities and theology. Today I came across an interesting article which discussed few mental models derived from basic sciences. One notable example of the mental model was “alloying”.? Alloys are new substances created when we combine various elements. In this model, the outcome is more than the sum of its parts. It means that an alloy is expected to be much stronger than the simple addition of its underlying elements. The “alloy” mental model guides us towards “making a right combination under right conditions”, i.e., selecting suitable basic elements/ ingredients/ people and creating conducive environment for an outstanding outcome. I am sure, all of us can come up with many examples from our disciplines, businesses and through experiences. Having a tool-box of useful mental models with an in-depth understanding of their trans-disciplinary applications can help to achieve goals beyond imagination. ?Do you have an example of a good mental model? ?
MAIS. Maximizer, inspirer, lifelong learner, culture curator, brand manager, roadblock remover, encouraging coach, team builder
6 个月Thanks for the opportunity for a dialogue! A good mental model that captures Peter Senge's systems thinking approach is the "Iceberg Model." This model helps visualize how underlying structures and mental models drive the events and patterns we observe in organizations or systems. It allows focus on seeing beyond surface-level symptoms but we must remain curious, without judgement. It's only then that an opportunity of reflection and inquiry allows answers to emerge. Sometimes in life we may brush aside what bothers us because it's an inconvenience to actually deal with what's under the surface. I've learned it's important to be quiet, listen and have trust and patience in the process.
Lecturer at The University of British Columbia (UBC)
6 个月Such an interesting morning read.? In my daily decision-making (especially when I am overwhelmed by a lot of variables to deal with), I sometimes use a mental model called “inversion.” The idea is to start with the “end” instead of the natural starting point. Thinking backward can provide me with a set of both mandatory and flexible constraints that can finally guide me to the so-called best decision. So, regardless of whether it’s a professional decision (career, etc.) or a personal decision (life goals, etc.), inversion is always something good to have in one’s toolbox. I also sometimes call it “consequence-based thinking” ??.?