Welcome to FS

Mastering The Best Of What Other People Have Already Figured Out

Farnam Street (FS) is devoted to helping you develop an understanding of how the world really works, make better decisions, and live a better life. We address such topics as mental models, decision making, learning, reading, and the art of living.

In a world full of noise, Farnam Street is a place where you can step back and think about time-tested ideas while asking yourself questions that lead to meaningful understanding. We cover ideas from science and the humanities that will not only expand your intellectual horizons but also help you connect ideas, think in multidisciplinary ways, and explore meaning.

Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and run by Shane Parrish, we have helped millions of people master the best of what other people have already figured out.

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Recent Articles

The Decision Matrix: How to Prioritize What Matters

September 04, 2018

The decisions we spend the most time on are rarely the most important ones. Not all decisions need the same process. Sometimes, trying to impose the same process on all decisions leads to difficulty identifying which ones are most important, bogging us down and stressing us out. I remember once struggling at the intelligence agency […]

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The Disproportional Power of Anecdotes

August 27, 2018

Humans, it seems, have an innate tendency to overgeneralize from small samples. How many times have you been caught in an argument where the only proof offered is anecdotal? Perhaps your co-worker saw this bratty kid make a mess in the grocery store while the parents appeared to do nothing. “They just let that child […]

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Why Honor Matters

August 20, 2018

Quick — who’s your favorite character in The Godfather? The most popular answer to this question surprised me. About half the people who are asked pick Sonny: Santino Corleone. “Everyone loves Sonny,” writes Talmer Sommers in his book Why Honor Matters. Sonny is a hothead. He’s the oldest of the Godfather’s three children and arguably […]

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