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Mental Models

The best way to make intelligent decisions (~100 models explained).

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Decision Making

How to make smart decisions without getting lucky.

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Reading Better

Improve reading comprehension and recall, and effective note-taking.

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Intellectual Giants

Check out this list of intellectual giants who profoundly impacted the world with their ideas, thinking, and leadership.

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Self Improvement

Train your brain to retain knowledge and insight better by understanding how you learn.

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Lessons on Leadership: Michael Abrashoff on Turning the Worst Ship in the Navy into the Best

Michael Abrashoff was in his mid-thirties when he took command of the USS Benfold, a guided missile destroyer and one of the worst-performing ships in the navy. Despite her potency, the …

Let Go of the Learning Baggage

We all want to learn better. That means retaining information, processing it, being able to use it when needed. More knowledge means better instincts; better insights into opportunities for both you …

Language: Why We Hear More Than Words

It’s a classic complaint in relationships, especially romantic ones: “She said she was okay with me forgetting her birthday! Then why is she throwing dishes in the kitchen? Are the two things …

Learning Through Play

Play is an essential way of learning about the world. Doing things we enjoy without a goal in mind leads us to find new information, better understand our own capabilities, and find unexpected beauty …

Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Second Order Thinking

A core component of making great decisions is understanding the rationale behind previous decisions. If we don’t understand how we got “here,” we run the risk of making things much worse. *** When we …

Focus to Win

Anyone can say no to bad ideas, but only a focused person can say no to good ideas. Focus is about saying no. When talking about one of the biggest lessons he learned from Steve Jobs, Jonny Ive said …

Tit For Tat

Tit for tat is a strategy which, according to game theory, is the most effective choice for iterated games based on mutual cooperation or defection. Both players benefit if they cooperate, but one …

Reciprocity: Getting What You Give

This article is an excerpt from the bestselling book The Great Mental Models Volume 2: Physics, Chemistry and Biology Reciprocity teaches us why win-win relationships are the way to go, why waiters …

A Wandering Mind: How Travel Can Change the Way You Think

Most people travel as an observer, and as a result, “see” a lot. When you travel as an active participant, the experience can transform the way you think, and how you see the world. *** Here’s a …

Evaluating Information: Find the Signal in the Noise

We are drowning in information. Most of that information is irrelevant. If only we could sort what matters from what doesn’t. The good news is that you can train your brain to evaluate the …

How To Spot Bad Science

In a digital world that clamors for clicks, news is sensationalized and “facts” change all the time. Here’s how to discern what is trustworthy and what is hogwash. *** Unless you’ve studied it, most …

The Art of Being Alone

Loneliness has more to do with our perceptions than how much company we have. It’s just as possible to be painfully lonely surrounded by people as it is to be content with little social contact. Some …

Arthur Schopenhauer on the Dangers of Clickbait

German Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) influenced some of the more prominent minds in the world. His writings and lessons traverse time and discipline. Schopenhauer confronted …

5 Mental Models to Remove (Some of) the Confusion from Parenting

We often talk about mental models in the context of business, investing, and careers. But mental models can also help with other areas, like parenting. Here are 5 principle-based models you can apply …

Predicting the Future with Bayes’ Theorem

In episode #37 of The Knowledge Project, we talked with professional poker player Annie Duke about thinking in probabilities, something good poker players do all the time. At the poker table or in …

Love, Happiness, and Time

How many of us regard love and happiness as a place? A box to tick off, a destination we get to? We often conceptualize these two things as goals. Is this responsible for why we are so devastated when …

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Explore articles by category:

Accelerated Learning

Mental Models

Decision Making

Reading Better

Intellectual Giants

Self Improvement

Lessons on Leadership: Michael Abrashoff on Turning the Worst Ship in the Navy into the Best

Let Go of the Learning Baggage

Language: Why We Hear More Than Words

Learning Through Play

Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Second Order Thinking

Focus to Win

Tit For Tat

Reciprocity: Getting What You Give

A Wandering Mind: How Travel Can Change the Way You Think

Evaluating Information: Find the Signal in the Noise

How To Spot Bad Science

The Art of Being Alone

Arthur Schopenhauer on the Dangers of Clickbait

5 Mental Models to Remove (Some of) the Confusion from Parenting

Predicting the Future with Bayes’ Theorem

Love, Happiness, and Time

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