Clear thinking is mostly about catching your own mind's shortcuts. These models help you separate the map from the territory and see what's really there.
The map is not the territory
First-principles thinking: reason from what's true, not what's assumed
Second-order thinking: always ask 'and then what?'
You go looking for what you already believe
The availability heuristic: you judge by what comes to mind easily
Base-rate neglect: the vivid story makes you forget the odds
The simplest explanation that fits is usually the right one
Never assume malice when a simple mistake explains it
The fundamental attribution error: it's the person, you assume — but it's often the situation
Your mind runs on two systems: fast and slow
Inversion: solve problems backward by asking how to fail
Lock these 11 ideas into memory with a 5-minute active-recall session — spaced repetition, no signup.
Learn them free →