What is this site about? What’s the point?
In short: This site is about thinking better through an understanding of Mental Models and Cognitive Biases in the manner set forth by Charlie Munger. It is my attempt to catalog these concepts as I find them and share them with you.
My hope is that we both develop our wisdom and rationality and end up thinking better as a result.
Models & Biases
“What are these models and biases of which you speak, sir?”
- A Mental Model is a core concept that explains something about how the world works. The idea is to gather and learn the big ones such that we can begin to see how they interrelate and thereby make better decisions.
- A Cognitive Bias is a quirk in how our brains work, an innate short-cut that works most of the time but can occasionally cause us to make irrational decisions.
In the end we use Mental Models to make better decisions and we try to understand our innate decision-making flaws by understanding Cognitive Biases.
Mutual Benefit
Docendo discimus: By teaching, we learn.
My goal for this site is that we both learn to make better decisions. Hopefully I introduce you to some Mental Models you haven’t seen before, and in the process of explaining them I hope to better understand them myself.
Consider the Source: Who’s Writing This Stuff?
My name is R. Andrew McVagh and I have been studying Mental Models and Worldly Wisdom since 2005.
At first I started with the intention of learning how to invest in the stock market. After reading a number of books and articles on various investing methods I eventually ended up discovering value investing and the world of Warren Buffett.
From there I went on learn about Berkshire Hathaway and thereby Charlie Munger, whose ideas on rational thinking immediately resonated with me.
So having started with the goal of making money trading stocks I ended up with a brand new perspective of the world, one that has helped me be more successful in just about anything I have attempted … including investing!
The Feedback Loop
While I have been working to learn these Mental Models for a couple years now, and I think I have a good list and am starting to see how they work together, there is always room for improvement and growth.
So please let me know if something I have posted is incorrect or if you think I have missed an important model entirely.
I promise to incorporate your feedback into the site!