Frequently asked questions about thinking, epistemology, and cognitive tools. 1675 answers
Most decisions you face are variations of types you have encountered before.
Create a specific framework for each recurring decision type.
Create a specific framework for each recurring decision type.
Create a specific framework for each recurring decision type.
Create a specific framework for each recurring decision type.
List every decision you made in the past two weeks. Group them by type: hiring, purchasing, architectural, scheduling, prioritization, relationship. For each type, write down the process you actually used. Now compare: did the process match the stakes? Pick the one type where the mismatch is.
Building one master decision framework and applying it to everything. This is the 'man with a hammer' error Munger warned about. You'll either slow to a crawl on low-stakes decisions or dangerously simplify high-stakes ones. The failure feels like productivity — you have 'a system' — but the.
Create a specific framework for each recurring decision type.
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Pick a real decision you're facing that involves at least three options and at least four criteria. Build a weighted decision matrix on paper or in a spreadsheet. First, list your criteria without assigning weights — just get them all down. Second, assign weights from 1 to 5 based on how much each.
Treating the matrix output as the answer rather than as a structured input to your judgment. When people build their first decision matrix, they tend to either game the weights to confirm what they already wanted or mechanically follow the highest score without asking whether the model captured.
Weight your criteria and score options systematically when multiple factors matter.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
Spend minimal time on easily reversible decisions and maximum time on irreversible ones.
One-way doors deserve careful analysis — two-way doors should be walked through quickly.