Label diagram arrows with specific verbs — 'causes'…
When externalizing mental models, label every arrow with a specific verb describing the relationship mechanism (causes, enables, blocks, amplifies) rather than vague connectors like 'affects' or 'relates to', because unlabeled relationships reveal unexamined assumptions.
When This Fires
- When drawing any diagram of a system, process, or conceptual model (Draw mental models as boxes and labeled arrows within 10…)
- When reviewing a diagram and finding vague relationship labels
- During collaborative model-building when team members use "relates to" as a placeholder
- Any visual thinking context where relationship mechanisms matter
Common Failure Mode
Labeling everything with "leads to" — slightly more specific than "affects" but still mechanism-free. "Poor sleep leads to lower productivity." How? Through what mechanism? "Poor sleep reduces working memory capacity" is specific enough to be actionable (you know what to protect on poor-sleep days). "Leads to" gives you a direction without a mechanism.
The Protocol
When labeling diagram arrows: (1) For each arrow, choose a specific mechanism verb: causes, enables, blocks, amplifies, inhibits, triggers, depends on, constrains, accelerates, degrades. (2) If you can't choose a specific verb → the relationship is vague in your understanding, not just in your diagram. Investigate until you can specify the mechanism. (3) If the relationship is genuinely unclear → label it "? mechanism unclear" rather than using a vague connector. Honest uncertainty is better than false precision — but both are better than "relates to."