Reading About Clear Thinking Is Not the Same as Thinking Clearly
Knowing about biases and actually avoiding them are different skills entirely.
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Thinking
Critical thinking, cognitive biases, decision-making, and learning to see clearly. The operating system behind everything else.
137 advices
What to Do When You Realize You've Been Wrong About Something for Years
Changing your mind openly earns more respect than defending a position you no longer believe.
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The Map Is Not the Territory
Treat your understanding of the world as a working draft, not a finished document.
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Strong Opinions, Loosely Held
Have the courage to commit to your ideas, and the honesty to abandon them when proven wrong.
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You Don't Know What You Don't Know
Build the habit of asking what you might be missing before you decide.
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Most Problems Look Different When You Write Them Down
When a problem feels overwhelming, write it down — clarity usually follows.
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Think from First Principles
When the usual approach fails, break the problem down to what you know for certain and reason up from there.
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You See What You Want to See
Actively seek out evidence against your beliefs — your brain will not do it for you.
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Solve Problems Backwards
Instead of asking how to succeed, ask what would guarantee failure — then avoid those things.
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Don't Keep Digging Just Because You Already Dug the Hole
Past investment should not dictate future decisions — ask whether you would start the same thing today.
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Think About the Consequences of Consequences
Before making a big decision, ask \"and then what?\" at least twice to see past the immediate outcome.
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Argue Against the Best Version of the Other Side
Before you argue against an idea, make sure you can state it in a way its supporters would endorse.
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See the System, Not Just the Parts
When something keeps failing, look at how the parts interact rather than blaming individual pieces.
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Think in Probabilities, Not Certainties
Assign rough probabilities to outcomes instead of pretending you know what will happen for certain.
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Beware the Peak of False Confidence
If you feel like an expert after a short time learning something, you are probably at the peak of false confidence.
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Don't Let the First Number Set the Frame
The first number you hear shapes every number after it — set your own reference point before someone else does.
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Not Everything Is a Story
Your brain turns random events into neat stories — be suspicious of explanations that feel too clean.
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Agreement Is Not Always a Good Sign
When everyone agrees too easily, it might mean nobody feels safe disagreeing — not that the idea is good.
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