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Inner World

Thinking

Critical thinking, cognitive biases, decision-making, and learning to see clearly. The operating system behind everything else.

125 advices
Thinking

What Has Lasted Long Will Probably Last Longer

Time is the most ruthless filter — what survived it has proven its worth.

12
Thinking

Behind Extreme Outcomes Usually Lies a Return to the Mean

Exceptional results — good or bad — tend to be followed by ordinary ones.

8
Thinking

Big Failures Are Made of Small Compromises

Disasters accumulate through small, reasonable-seeming compromises.

17
Thinking

When Stuck, Explain the Problem to Someone Who Knows Nothing About It

Explaining a problem simply often reveals exactly where your understanding breaks.

11
Thinking

Write Down Your Prediction Before Looking at the Result

Committing predictions to paper reveals where your intuition is calibrated and where it isn't.

19
Thinking

Flip the Perspective: What Would You Tell a Friend in This Situation?

The advice you'd give a friend in your situation is probably the right advice for you.

10
Thinking

A Properly Framed Problem Is a Half-Solved Problem

A clear problem statement is half the solution — most bad answers come from vague questions.

5
Thinking

Generate Ideas First, Criticize Later — Never Do Both at Once

Separate creation from evaluation — judging too early kills promising ideas.

6
Thinking

Approximate First, Refine Later

A quick rough estimate often reveals more than a slow precise one.

10
Thinking

Use the Outside View Before the Inside View

Check how similar projects went for others before trusting your own estimate.

23
Thinking

Ask What You Are Not Being Told

The most revealing information is often what someone chose not to tell you.

10
Thinking

Do Not Mistake a Label for an Explanation

A label describes the pattern; an explanation reveals why it exists.

12
Thinking

Know the Difference Between Simple and Easy

Simple means few steps; easy means low effort — most important changes are one but not the other.

6
Thinking

Confusion Is a Signal to Zoom In, Overwhelm Is a Signal to Zoom Out

Confusion needs more detail; overwhelm needs more altitude — know which state you are in.

5
Thinking

The Truth Is Often in the Middle, but Not Always Dead Center

Splitting the difference is not the same as finding the truth.

21
Thinking

Reading About Clear Thinking Is Not the Same as Thinking Clearly

Knowing about biases and actually avoiding them are different skills entirely.

5
Thinking

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.

8
Thinking

Know When to Decide Fast and When to Decide Slow

Move fast on decisions you can undo and slow down on decisions you cannot.

11