May 8, 2019

What Got You There with Sean DeLaney – A Solo Episode About Mental Models & Learning Frameworks

Check out Sean’s Episode Page & Show Notes. Follow Sean on Twitter.

This is a solo episode with Sean where he talks about mental models and how he learns

Key Takeaways

• Recommended books and resources for learning about mental models and how to think better
  • Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger
  • Poor Charlie’s Almanac
  • “For learning about mental models, you won’t find a better resource than the Farnam Street blog
    • Shane Parish’s (creator of Farnam Street) new book – The Great Mental Models – is also a good resource
  • Check out Naval Ravikant’s How to Get Rich tweet storm and his new podcast
• “Develop into a lifelong self-learner through voracious reading, cultivate curiosity, and strive to become a little wiser every day” – Charlie Munger
• The Feynman Technique For Learning
  • Teach it to a child
    • This forces you to simplify the concepts
  • Review the material over and over until you can explain it to a child
  • Organize and simplify
    • Turn your notes into a simple story that flows
  • Transmit it 
    • Try conveying the knowledge to someone who understands the subject fairly well
• 5 Mental Models Sean Uses on a Consistent Basis
  • Asymmetries
    • Look for opportunities in life where the upside is incredibly large and the downside is near negligible (or vice versa)
    • Positive examples – starting a podcast, hosting meetups, DMing people on Twitter, writing online
    • Negative examples – drunk driving, texting while driving, cheating on your taxes
  • Direction Over Speed
    • If you’re pointed in the wrong direction, it doesn’t matter how fast you’re traveling
    • If you’re locked into your desired destination, all progress is positive, no matter how small – you’ll reach your goal eventually
  • Contrast Bias
    • How we value things depends on what we compare them with
  • Second-Order Thinking
    • This is thinking which considers the second- and third-order consequences of your actions
    • For example – Eating a chocolate bar might satisfy you in the moment, but will over time create the problem of poor health
  • Inversion
    • Turning a problem on its head
    • If you’re trying to figure out how to live a better life, first consider what might lead to a horrible life – then avoid those things
    • “Avoiding stupidity is easier than seeking brilliance”
• Parting Advice
  • Read broadly and think deeply about your own frameworks

These notes were edited by RoRoPa Editing Services