Frequently asked questions about thinking, epistemology, and cognitive tools. 1498 answers
Agreeing that 'systems matter' while still blaming individuals when something goes wrong in your own organization. The test isn't whether you can cite Deming in a meeting. It's whether, when a colleague underperforms, your first question is 'What about this system made this outcome likely?' rather.
The structures and incentives of an organization determine individual action more than personality does.
Where you work physically changes how you think.
Where you work physically changes how you think.
Where you work physically changes how you think.
Where you work physically changes how you think.
Who you are with when you process information influences what you conclude.
Who you are with when you process information influences what you conclude.
Who you are with when you process information influences what you conclude.
Who you are with when you process information influences what you conclude.
Identify one belief you hold strongly that most of your close peers also hold. Write it down. Now write the strongest possible argument against it — not a straw man, the actual steel-man case. Notice how much harder this is than it should be. The difficulty isn't intellectual. It's social. Your.
Believing you're immune to social influence because you're 'independent-minded.' Asch's data is clear: 75% of people conform at least once, and the remaining 25% aren't immune — they just have higher thresholds. The most dangerous form of social conformity is the kind you can't see because.
Who you are with when you process information influences what you conclude.
Understanding how you got here prevents you from making the same errors again.
Understanding how you got here prevents you from making the same errors again.
Understanding how you got here prevents you from making the same errors again.
Understanding how you got here prevents you from making the same errors again.
Pick one recurring problem — personal or professional — that you've encountered at least twice. Write the full history: when it first appeared, what you tried, what worked temporarily, what failed, what conditions preceded each recurrence. Be specific about dates, decisions, and contexts. Now.
Knowing the history intellectually without encoding it into your decision-making infrastructure. Reading post-mortems without changing processes. Saying 'we learned from that' while preserving the exact conditions that caused it. Historical context only prevents repetition when it is embedded in.
Understanding how you got here prevents you from making the same errors again.
You remember things better in the context where you learned them.
Always give your audience the context they need to interpret your message correctly.
Always give your audience the context they need to interpret your message correctly.
Always give your audience the context they need to interpret your message correctly.