My Mental Models

Better Decisions Using A Better Mental Framework

  • What Are Mental Models?
  • Models Checklist
  • Charlie Munger Quotes
  • Charlie Munger Reading List
  • Warren Buffett Books
Home » Mental Model Summary » Mental Model Summary: Reason Respecting (Because Why)

Mental Model Summary: Reason Respecting (Because Why)

By Andrew McVagh, last updated May 23, 2018 Leave a Comment

Mental Model Summary: Reason Respecting

Contents

Mental Model

Reason Respecting, Because, Why, Commander’s Intent

Summary

One of the most powerful words in the English language is the word because.

Why? Because, as humans, we have an underlying need to understand the reasons behind most things. When we know the why, we are more likely to:

  • comply with a request
  • remember something
  • complete a task successfully

The key idea is that because can be a powerful motivator or persuasion tool, for both good and bad.

Examples

  • The Copy Machine Study, where people waiting in line to use a copier were more likely to let someone cut in front of them if the person supplied a reason (a because) … even if the reason was really weak.
  • Commander’s Intent, where soldiers on the battlefield are more able to complete a mission if they know the why. Simply knowing the desired outcome (the why) lets them adapt as things change while continuing to work towards the end result (vs being given a set of instructions to follow but not knowing the intended outcome).

Why It Is Useful

Quite simply, because is a great persuasion tool. You can use it, rightly or wrongly, to get other people to do what you want … and they can do the same to you!

Case 1: You’re a front-line manager in a large organization and you need your team to come together and work some extra hours to get a project done on schedule.

Simply by explaining why the project is important to the organization and why the deadline is so important, you can influence their willingness to stay and get the job done.

Case 2: You’re in the same role as front-line manager and your team successfully met the deadline. Now you want to ask your boss for a raise for completing the project on time.

To do so, you write up a detailed summary of the work your team has accomplished over the past year or two, outlining how the great results have impacted the company’s bottom line.

At the top of the document you summarize that you are requesting an in-line adjustment to your base salary … because of the accomplishments listed in that document.

Case 3: Your boss agrees, giving you a nice raise and an extra week of vacation. You decide to blow both on a nice trip to Fiji, but you need your team to keep moving forward on the next project.

So what do you do? You guessed it … you pull them together and tell them what you need them to work on, along with the why so they understand where they need to be with it in a week when you get back.

This way they can adapt to issues that come up and keep working while you are out … because they know the why.

How It Fits Into The Latticework

Reason-respecting is part cognitive bias and part persuasion tactic.

Probably the easiest way to include it in your toolbox is simply to add the word because to any email or verbal communication where you want to increase the chances that a person or group of people will comply with your request.

Additionally, it helps to remember to include the why when you need a task or project completed where the desired outcome is known but the people implementing it may need to adapt along the way.

Next Step

Simply start adding because to your communications and see if, on average, you are a little more persuasive than you were before.

Further Reading

  • Harvard Business Review: Commander’s Intent
  • Josh Kaufman: Commander’s Intent
  • Book: Poor Charlie’s Almanac (Reason Respecting is listed as one of the mental models in the back of the book)
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Andrew McVagh
Andrew has been studying Charlie Munger and his system of Mental Models for over a decade. Now he is helping others use this system to make better, more rational decisions in all aspects of their lives.
Latest posts by Andrew McVagh (see all)
  • Mental Model Summary: Advantages of Scale - June 4, 2018
  • Mental Model Summary: Law of Small Numbers - May 31, 2018
  • Mental Model Summary: Division of Labor - May 30, 2018

 

Popular Posts:

  • Mental Model Summary: The Complete ListMental Model Summary: The Complete List
  • Magical Thinking: When Your Brain Is Too Good At Finding PatternsMagical Thinking: When Your Brain Is Too Good At Finding Patterns
  • Blinkist Review: How To Make Progress On Your Reading ListBlinkist Review: How To Make Progress On Your Reading List
  • What Is A Cognitive Bias? When Your Brain Tells You Little White LiesWhat Is A Cognitive Bias? When Your Brain Tells You Little White Lies
  • Mental Models BooksThe Best Books On Mental Models
  • Mental Model Summary: Advantages of ScaleMental Model Summary: Advantages of Scale
  • The Ben Franklin Effect: How He Would Have Used LinkedInThe Ben Franklin Effect: How He Would Have Used LinkedIn
  • Learn More Study Less: Master Agonizing Material QuicklyLearn More Study Less: Master Agonizing Material Quickly


Learn Mental Models Through Videos

Udemy has a wide range of videos that cover many of the most important mental models.

Click here to see my list of the best videos on mental models.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Popular Posts

  • 11 Brilliant And Funny Charlie Munger Quotes (Genius Wisdom)
  • 5 Amazing Warren Buffett Books (Learn How He Really Thinks)
  • The Charlie Munger Reading List (30+ Fascinating Books)
  • The Best Books On Mental Models
  • Blinkist Review: How To Make Progress On Your Reading List
  • Get My Mental Models Checklist

Mental Model Summaries

  • Mental Model Summary: Advantages of Scale
  • Mental Model Summary: Base Rates
  • Mental Model Summary: Checklists
  • Mental Model Summary: Creative Destruction
  • Mental Model Summary: Division of Labor
  • Mental Model Summary: Incentives
  • Mental Model Summary: Inversion
  • Mental Model Summary: Law of Small Numbers
  • Mental Model Summary: Pareto Principle
  • Mental Model Summary: Reason Respecting (Because Why)
  • Mental Model Summary: Redundancy
  • Mental Model Summary: Skill Stack
  • Mental Model Summary: Social Proof

Further Reading:

- What Are Mental Models?
- My Mental Models Checklist
- The Best Books On Mental Models
- The Charlie Munger Reading List
- Mental Model Summaries: The Complete List
- All Posts
 


About | Contact | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Disclosure Policy | Site Disclaimer

 

My Mental Models is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

© 2023 · My Mental Models