Mental Models

Mental models are thinking tools — frameworks that help you understand systems, make decisions, and solve problems. Each page below has a short explanation and real-world examples. All 14 mental models in the ThinkBetter app.

• Hanlon's RazorNever attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.
• InversionInstead of considering what you need to achieve a goal, ask instead "What should I avoid doing to prevent failure?"
• Bounded RationalityOur ability to make rational decisions is limited by the information we have, cognitive constraints, and the time available.
• Circle of CompetenceThe Circle of Competence emphasizes understanding and operating within one's areas of expertise and knowledge.
• Occam's RazorWhen presented with multiple explanations for a situation or phenomenon, the simplest one is usually the best.
• Map is Not The TerritoryOur perception or representation of reality is not reality itself, but merely a simplified version of it, with all of its flaws.
• Regression to the MeanRegression to the mean is the statistical phenomenon where extreme data points are likely to be followed by more average ones.
• Parkinson's LawWork expands to fill the time available for its completion.
• Law of Diminishing ReturnsAfter a certain point, each additional unit of input results in progressively smaller increases in output.
• Pareto Principleaka the 80/20 rule, says that is common for roughly 80% of results come from 20% of the input/causes.
• Bayes' TheoremProbabilities (or the likelihood of something happening) should be updated with new information as we gather it.
• Probabilistic ThinkingDecisions or predictions are based on probabilities rather than certainties, we should therefore acknowledge the influence of randomness and uncertainty.
• Second-Order ThinkingWe should consider and plan for the consequences of the consequences of actions, going beyond the immediate effects.
• Pygmalion EffectPeople tend to perform according to the expectations placed upon them, often fulfilling prophecies of their success or failure.

Go deeper in ThinkBetter

ThinkBetter is the app for mental models and cognitive biases. For Mental Models, the free version includes more than this page — further examples, a quiz, audio, and a weekly path — and every model and bias in the library. Pro is an optional, inexpensive upgrade for the rest of the deep-dive.