Mental Models विवेक

Thinking tools for clearer decisions across money, health, learning, relationships and joy.

The Compound EffectSmall consistent inputs compound dramatically over time.
InversionInstead of asking how to succeed, ask what guarantees failure — then avoid that.
Second-Order ThinkingAsk not just what happens, but what happens next, and then what.
Circle of CompetenceKnow what you know, and know what you don't.
First Principles ThinkingReason up from fundamental truths rather than by analogy.
Regret MinimizationProject to age 80 and choose the path you'll regret less.
Hanlon's RazorNever attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by ignorance or poor design.
Occam's RazorAmong competing explanations, prefer the simplest that fits the evidence.
Map Is Not the TerritoryYour model of reality is not reality itself.
Margin of SafetyBuild in buffer before you need it — stress arrives when buffers run out.
Probabilistic ThinkingThink in distributions, not certainties.
Loss AversionWe feel losses twice as acutely as equivalent gains — this distorts our choices.
Sunk Cost FallacyPast investment should not determine future action — only future value matters.
Survivorship BiasWe see the survivors, not the failures — and draw false conclusions from the sample.
Confirmation BiasWe seek evidence that confirms what we already believe.
Systems ThinkingUnderstand the whole system, not just individual parts.
The Pareto Principle80% of outcomes typically come from 20% of inputs.
Opportunity CostEvery choice is also a choice not to do everything else.
The Planning FallacyWe consistently underestimate how long things will take.
Availability HeuristicWe judge probability by how easily examples come to mind.
Deliberate PracticeNot all practice is equal — focused practice at the edge of capability builds skill.
The Feynman TechniqueIf you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it yet.
Via NegativaImprove by subtraction — removing the bad rather than adding the good.
Mental AccountingWe treat money differently depending on its source — but money is fungible.
Status Quo BiasWe prefer the current state even when changing would be better.
Abstraction LadderingMove up and down levels of abstraction to find the right problem to solve.
The Narrative FallacyWe construct coherent stories from events that were actually random or complex.
Hindsight Bias"I knew it all along" — the illusion that past events were more predictable than they were.
Dunning-Kruger EffectThe least competent are most confident; the most competent are most cautious.

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