29 mental models that will change your outlook on life

Mental models are among the most powerful thinking "tools" at our disposal. However, as Uncle Ben rightly pointed out in Spider-Man, with great power comes great responsibility. Mental models are quite complex. And depending on how we use them, they can be constructive or destructive.

What are mental models

It is a set of beliefs and ideas that we consciously or subconsciously form based on personal experience. Such peculiar thought schemes shorten the time we usually need for logical analysis. They allow us to think faster and more productively, help us understand the world around us, and influence our behavior.

For example, if we know how the network effect or the law of diminishing returns works in an economic system, it helps us understand other systems as well. And if we understand how motivation works or

availability heuristicwe better understand relationships between people.

There are an incredible number of mental models. Some of them are associated with biological functions, others reflect human behavior. While mental models do a lot to explain how our brains work, they are far from perfect. They need to be used in a certain context, and sometimes even combined with each other.

What are mental models

Mental models are used in a variety of areas: business, relationships, education, and more. They can be narrowly focused or universal. Some of them take the form of cognitive distortions, others take the form of objective laws.

Take a look at yourself. Perhaps you already use some of these models in everyday life, and some you will adopt.

1. "Anchor". This is a cognitive error that causes us to rely too much on the first information we receive. It becomes for us a kind of "anchor" when making decisions.

2. Classic conditioned reflex. This is a teaching method familiar to all of us from Pavlov's experiments, in which a biologically strong stimulus is combined with a neutral one. As a result, a neutral stimulus begins to cause the same reaction of the organism as a strong one.

3. Mistake of responsibility and consistency. Behind it lies the desire to be and appear consistent in deeds that have already been completed.

4. common truths - knowledge that is known to everyone or almost everyone. Usually they are closely connected with a particular community, such as a work team or family. Such knowledge is not necessarily true, but we consider it reliable.

5. comparative advantage. An economic term that refers to the ability to perform a particular task, such as producing something, more efficiently than other activities.

6. Diversification, that is, the allocation of resources in such a way as to avoid certain risks.

7. scale effect. It is the principle that a business benefits from its scale. The larger it is, the lower the cost per unit of production.

8. Efficient Market Hypothesis. This economic theory says that the value of securities reflects all available information. And you can't beat the market because prices react and change solely because of new data.

9. Game theory. This concept summarizes scientific research on how people, animals and computers make decisions.

10. Hyperbolic discounting. This model describes a situation in which, between two similar rewards, a person chooses the one that he can get earlier.

11. Illusion of control Tendency to overestimate one's ability to control events.

12. Stimulus - something that motivates and encourages a person to do something, to act in one way or another.

13. The principle of inversion. In accordance with this principle, the problem is considered from the endpoint. For example, do not come up with ideas that will move the project forward, but list the steps that can destroy it.

14. Loss aversion effect. It consists in the desire to avoid even a small loss, instead of making an equivalent profit. This means that we will be much more upset when we lose 100 rubles than we will be happy when we find the same amount.

15. Safety factor. This business metric indicates how much sales can fall before a company's revenue equals its expenses.

16. Maslow's pyramid of needs. A well-known theory according to which we must first satisfy the basic needs - for food, personal safety and communication, and only then move on to higher-order needs - in respect for others and self-improvement.

17. Mechanical advantage, also known as the rule of leverage. It describes a pattern in which force increases when a tool or mechanical device is used.

18. Simple impact effect. A psychological phenomenon in which we prefer certain things just because they are familiar to us.

19. reciprocity rule. It lies in the expectation that we will repay good for good.

20. normal distribution. According to this theory, the means of observations of random variables are normally distributed when the number of observations is large enough.

21. Operant learning. This is a learning process in which the stability of behavior is regulated through reinforcement or punishment.

22. Redundancy - creating copies of critical components of a certain system to increase its reliability, for example, having a plan B or "airbag".

23. deficit, or a limited quantity of something, such as a commodity available on the market.

24. signal theory. It helps determine whether people with conflicting interests can give honest signals rather than cheating.

25. Deviation towards the status quo. This is a preference for the current state of affairs, when the current situation is taken as a starting point, and any change is considered a loss.

26. The law of supply and demand. According to this economic model, in a competitive market, the price for a good or service will change until it stops at a point where demand equals supply. This leads to an equilibrium between the price and the number of transactions.

27. "Surfing" — the business principle of “riding the wave” of new technologies, products or trends.

28. Survivor's mistake. This logical error is that we focus on those who passed the selection process and ignore those who did not. Especially often it is done by novice entrepreneurs.

29. Tribalism. This is a model of thinking in which a person is loyal to his social group and puts its interests above everything else.

How to use mental models

When you have a hammer in your hands, everything around you looks like a nail. And one of the biggest misconceptions about mental models is that they have to be strictly followed in order to evolve. In fact, there are many attitudes to avoid, such as the illusion of control - sometimes it is especially dangerous.

Therefore, it is important to be able to recognize the mental models that you and those around you use. Ideally, you should consciously choose which settings to use, rather than letting your brain run on autopilot.

When working with mental models, you need to follow a few rules:

• Monitor your thoughts and ask yourself difficult provocative questions.
• Seek information to back up your thoughts with facts.
• Learn and analyze other people's opinions.
• Do not allow yourself to make far-reaching conclusions and assumptions.
• Recognize repetitive thought patterns and get rid of them.

How to create your own mental model

Mental models help you think and make decisions quickly, as well as correctly predict events and even the behavior of other people. You can create your own models that suit you. To do this, you need to take several steps.

1. Watching people

Get inspired by those around you. When you read the biography of a person of interest to you, ask yourself why he made such a choice, what he thought at that moment and what mental model he used.

It is not necessary to study celebrities. Each of us has a close friend or colleague we admire. Pay attention to how he makes difficult decisions and learn from him.

2. follow nature

Nature obeys many rules that can be used in everyday life. For example, every living being has a stimulus that dictates its behavior. Lions prey on zebras and other mammals to feed themselves and their pride. This is their main motivation, which explains any of their actions.

Reflect on your main motivation. This will help you understand yourself better.

3. Ask for feedback

Have a close friend or colleague observe you and identify a few behaviors that are specific to you. You may not even know what you look like from the outside. It's a rather awkward but very rewarding experience.

Don't limit yourself to constructive models. Highlight behaviors that you definitely don't want to use. This will help to notice destructive habits in time - not only your own, but also those around you. It also helps to make lists of mental models that you would like to master and that you would like to get rid of.

What books to read about mental models

If you are interested in learning more about useful mental models, start by reading these books:

• Daniel KahnemanThink slow… Decide fast»
• Robert Cialdini "Psychology of influence»
• Dan Ariely "Predictable irrationality. The Hidden Forces That Determine Our Decisions"
• Rolf Dobelli "The art of thinking clearly»