Farnam Street
Mastering the best of what other people have already figured out
What if saving one life could doom millions? In Stephen King’s 11/22/63, a man named Jake discovers a portal that transports him back to 1958. Determined to prevent the assassination of President John …
Why do some people consistently outperform and achieve remarkable results while others struggle to tread water? There is one thing that stands out more than others: mindset. If you want results, you …
We find ourselves in a filter bubble any time we’re only surrounded by views and opinions we agree with, while being sheltered from opposing perspectives. Filter bubbles distort our understanding of …
Critical mass, which is sometimes referred to as tipping points, is one of the most effective mental models you can use to understand the world. The concept can explain everything from viral cat …
When warring opponents use similar approaches and possess similar weapons, trench warfare becomes inevitable. The winning side usually has a slight advantage in production capability or resources. …
It seems almost a bizarre question. Who thinks about whether zero was invented or discovered? And why is it important? Answering this question, however, can tell you a lot about yourself and how you …
A Trojan Horse is an innocuous appearing container for hiding something within to get past defenses or some other obstacle. Trojan Horses can be used for both good and evil. Here’s how to recognize …
We try to look at mental models in history through the lens of people who got it right, but once in a while, it’s beneficial to examine a model through the lens of those who got it wrong. In this …
“You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time.” ― M. Scott Peck *** The Basics The sense that we are not being listened to is one of the most frustrating feelings …
Former military officer, astronaut, engineer (and current Minister of Transport) Marc Garneau (@MarcGarneau) and I discuss the future of transportation, space, information flow in politics and what it …
The beginning of any complex or challenging endeavor is always the hardest part. Not all of us wake up and jump out of bed ready for the day. Some of us, like me, need a little extra energy to …
The Basics For an accurate definition of counterinsurgency (and the flipside, insurgency), we can look to one of the definitive texts on the topic. In Counterinsurgency, David Kilcullen writes: An …
How is your journey towards understanding Farnam Street’s latticework of mental models going? Is it proving useful? Changing your view of the world? If the answer is that it’s going well that’s good. …
Mutually assured destruction is a military mental model with powerful applications in life and business. It refers to a situation where two parties are in a stalemate, and neither can make a move …
“Colonel Graff: You have a habit of upsetting your commander. Ender Wiggin: I find it hard to respect someone just because they outrank me, sir.” — Orson Scott Card *** Many leaders …
Nothing will change your future trajectory like your habits. We all have goals, big or small, things we want to achieve within a certain time frame. Maybe you want to make a million dollars by the …