All these mental models are simplified maps of an infinitely complex reality. When we rely on them too heavily, do we risk falling into the trap of mistaking the map for the actual territory? The very tools we use to understand the world can end up shaping and even limiting our perspective. That's why being aware of the limitations of the models themselves is just as important as using them.
It's sad to me that people are apparently so allergic to the term "theory" that we had to come up with this lesser version of it. I guess the key difference is that "mental model" might emphasize dynamics more strongly, which is a flaw in my opinion (logical relationship is what matters, whether those relations are static or dynamic).
> It's sad to me that people are apparently so allergic to the term "theory" that we had to come up with this lesser version of it.
There's an argument to be made that it is useful to distinguish between mental models and theories.
If a theory is a structured, formal explanation of phenomena, grounded in evidence, logic, and often mathematics that is meant to be shared, tested, and and falsified, a mental model is more of an internal representation of how something works, often informal, simplified, personal, and built to help you reason, predict, and decide.
LOL. I was looking for an about link to learn who the author is, but there’s isn’t one. The more I scrolled the more I kept seeing these book covers all with the name. So I guess that stands for “about” link. Cheeky.
But what I really wanted to say, this reminds me of Scott E Page’s Coursera course on Model Thinking, and a book: “The Model Thinker
What You Need to Know to Make Data Work for You” also from 2018.
Books by Peter Bevelin (From Darwin to Munger etc.) or Rolf Dobelli are decent compilations. But mental models are everywhere. Taleb's books have a bunch. But start with what you have in front of you: pick one and actually apply it programmatically, then add to your repertoire one at a time.
My mental model of a website that replaces the content with some 'sign up now' stuff while I'm trying to read it is that it deserves to get closed and never looked-at again.
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