4 ms·

More of a meta comment than a criticism: there's been a real explosion in interest in mental models this last decade. Mental models have become top of mind in t

More of a meta comment than a criticism: there's been a real explosion in interest in mental models this last decade. Mental models have become top of mind in the SV community (and its associated thought leaders), from Farnham Street, Naval, Tim Ferriss, Patrick Collison and many others regularly talking about them and their creators such as Buffet / Munger / Kahneman etc. What's happening here? Is there some kind of fundamental set of truths we have stumbled upon that make these models timeless and universally useful, or are we just at the top of the hype cycle? Are there cons to internalizing these models, or is this always-relevant wisdom that should be imparted upon all of humanity? One could also wonder if there's anything new at all to these mental models, or if these have always been universally valid and applicable principles that the community has repackaged in a more polished and condensed format. Disclaimer: I love this whole subject and immediately bought the book, BUT I'm also somewhat wary of everybody drinking the same koolaid, including myself. Are these truly valuable, or are they purely fashionable, and so people are cargo culting famous SV personalities? i.e. is this the wisdom version of Jack Dorsey meditating and fasting?

andrenth 7y ago
I share the same concerns. I also love the subject and will buy the book, but I've come to notice that a lot of what's written about mental models is shallow, generic and/or not really actionable.
harperlee 7y ago
My view on why they attract me: I’m technically inclined. Loved maths and physics during school and college, where one basic, but fundamentally powerful idea, enabled to solve so many problems. It seemed knowledge distilled. You just apply and combine and operate, and boom: The Right Answer. Then picked a business book, where one idea is iterated for 100 pages. Looking it from different angles, explaining, examples, anecdotes. I’ll-tell-you-something-I’m-doing-it-I-told-you recursive sandwiches. “By the end of this book” nonsense. It seems facile, it does not demand pencil-and-paper work like in maths. Also, one idea per book? Wasted time. Finally a book comes that just lists ideas. Not very detailed. Seem very fundamental. It reminds a little bit of a maths cheatsheet, the minimal expression of the Maxwell equations that will solve all business issues. It sounds exciting! But as others noted: if you cannot work them, exercise them, and think formally through implications, it is cargo culting from maths. At least to an extent. (Sorry for the style im in my mobile)
tquinn 7y ago
The world isn't going to fit perfectly into mental models, it's much more complex, variable, and random. "The Bed of Procrustes" comes to mind: The mythical innkeeper that wanted his guests to fit perfectly into their bed, so he would either stretch the guests or chop off limbs to make them fit. IMO the maps don't always match the terrain, but the maps are worth studying. I'm going to buy the book as I found Traction super useful, and I'd like to see their take on popular mental models. But I'm keeping in mind the limits of models. (I like a good dose of Nassim Nicholas Taleb for this)

andrenth 7y ago

I share the same concerns. I also love the subject and will buy the book, but I've come to notice that a lot of what's written about mental models is shallow, generic and/or not really actionable.

harperlee 7y ago

My view on why they attract me: I’m technically inclined. Loved maths and physics during school and college, where one basic, but fundamentally powerful idea, enabled to solve so many problems. It seemed knowledge distilled. You just apply and combine and operate, and boom: The Right Answer. Then picked a business book, where one idea is iterated for 100 pages. Looking it from different angles, explaining, examples, anecdotes. I’ll-tell-you-something-I’m-doing-it-I-told-you recursive sandwiches. “By the end of this book” nonsense. It seems facile, it does not demand pencil-and-paper work like in maths. Also, one idea per book? Wasted time. Finally a book comes that just lists ideas. Not very detailed. Seem very fundamental. It reminds a little bit of a maths cheatsheet, the minimal expression of the Maxwell equations that will solve all business issues. It sounds exciting! But as others noted: if you cannot work them, exercise them, and think formally through implications, it is cargo culting from maths. At least to an extent. (Sorry for the style im in my mobile)

tquinn 7y ago

The world isn't going to fit perfectly into mental models, it's much more complex, variable, and random. "The Bed of Procrustes" comes to mind: The mythical innkeeper that wanted his guests to fit perfectly into their bed, so he would either stretch the guests or chop off limbs to make them fit. IMO the maps don't always match the terrain, but the maps are worth studying. I'm going to buy the book as I found Traction super useful, and I'd like to see their take on popular mental models. But I'm keeping in mind the limits of models. (I like a good dose of Nassim Nicholas Taleb for this)