Episode
#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
1:16:01
Published: Mon May 06 2019
Description
I'm joined by long time friend of the show and all round interesting individual George MacGill to break down how we can make better decisions in all areas of our lives by using Mental Models. If you imagine that your mind is an operating system, Mental Models are the apps you install into it which improve your ability to effectively make decisions. Today we are upgrading our minds by thinking about thinking, as we delve into some of mine & George's favourite mental models along with a mass of our best examples and resources. Huge thank you to Social Chain for letting me record in their beautiful studio and Video Guy Ollie from SC HQ for filming everything. Extra Stuff: Follow George on Twitter - https://twitter.com/george__mack Farnam Street Blog - https://fs.blog/ Farnam Street's 109 Mental Models - https://fs.blog/mental-models/ The Great Mental Models Book by Shane Parrish - https://amzn.to/2VijWDE Shane Parrish on Art Of Manliness - https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/mental-models-decision-making/ The Psychology Of Human Misjudgement by Charlie Munger (full speech) - https://youtu.be/pqzcCfUglws Why Not To Start A Startup by Paul Graham - http://www.paulgraham.com/notnot.html Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact
Chapters
In this episode of Modern Wisdom, Chris Williamson interviews George McGill of Social Chain about mental models.
00:00 - 01:55 (01:55)
Summary
In this episode of Modern Wisdom, Chris Williamson interviews George McGill of Social Chain about mental models. Mental models are general thinking concepts that can be layered on top of each other to create a lattice work of thinking approaches.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
The use of mental models can be equated to plugging in various apps for different decision-making situations, making life less overwhelming.
01:55 - 06:40 (04:45)
Summary
The use of mental models can be equated to plugging in various apps for different decision-making situations, making life less overwhelming. The strategy involves taking the 10% that covers 90% and applying different strategies from big disciplines, resulting in better everyday decision-making.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
The podcast discusses Charlie Munger's "psychology of human misjudgment" and relates it to business people as well as the applicability of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs when looking back at Paleolithic Man.
06:40 - 12:57 (06:16)
Summary
The podcast discusses Charlie Munger's "psychology of human misjudgment" and relates it to business people as well as the applicability of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs when looking back at Paleolithic Man.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
A former prisoner of war recounts his harrowing experience enduring numerous camps, building the bridge over the River Kwai, surviving tropical diseases, being transported in a death ship, and experiencing the aftershock of Nagasaki's bomb drop.
12:57 - 18:47 (05:49)
Summary
A former prisoner of war recounts his harrowing experience enduring numerous camps, building the bridge over the River Kwai, surviving tropical diseases, being transported in a death ship, and experiencing the aftershock of Nagasaki's bomb drop. He kept quiet and wrote this memoir as a movement to call on the Japanese government to take responsibility for the atrocities that occurred during World War II under their rule.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
The podcast episode discusses how humans often make decisions by reasoning from analogy.
18:47 - 23:28 (04:41)
Summary
The podcast episode discusses how humans often make decisions by reasoning from analogy. A common example is how Elon Musk reduced the weight of 1200 pounds of batteries in SpaceX by reasoning from the weight of fuel in a plane. The episode also uses school start times to demonstrate how breaking down decisions into smaller parts can make them easier to handle.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
The idea of quantum thinking, or holding two opposing opinions at the same time, is discussed along with the importance of prioritizing time and energy for ultimate optimization.
23:28 - 29:39 (06:10)
Summary
The idea of quantum thinking, or holding two opposing opinions at the same time, is discussed along with the importance of prioritizing time and energy for ultimate optimization.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
The visibility bias towards modern YouTube entrepreneurs can lead us to overlook valuable lessons from historical figures like Rockefeller.
29:40 - 35:39 (05:58)
Summary
The visibility bias towards modern YouTube entrepreneurs can lead us to overlook valuable lessons from historical figures like Rockefeller. By studying what has survived throughout history, we can discover hidden gems for success.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
Shane Parish and James Clear discuss the difference between goals and systems in navigating the career space.
35:39 - 43:44 (08:04)
Summary
Shane Parish and James Clear discuss the difference between goals and systems in navigating the career space. While Parish believes that 50% of movement is signal and 50% is noise, Clear argues that goals don't necessarily lead to success in life and it's about building good systems instead.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
Success is tied to high agency, an insane work ethic, and creativity.
43:44 - 47:20 (03:36)
Summary
Success is tied to high agency, an insane work ethic, and creativity. Examining the example of the Silk Road, a film-worthy example of high agency behavior.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
The concept of second and third order thinking involves predicting whether a decision will lead to a good outcome over a longer period of time, considering first, second, and third order consequences.
47:20 - 53:33 (06:13)
Summary
The concept of second and third order thinking involves predicting whether a decision will lead to a good outcome over a longer period of time, considering first, second, and third order consequences.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
This episode emphasizes the importance of taking small steps and using mental models to achieve meaningful goals instead of getting discouraged by immediate failures.
53:33 - 1:02:25 (08:52)
Summary
This episode emphasizes the importance of taking small steps and using mental models to achieve meaningful goals instead of getting discouraged by immediate failures. It applies the concept of learning techniques from video games to everyday life by breaking down goals into simple steps and reinforcing the right processes.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
Society always tries to steer people towards acceptability, but to achieve great things and have a voice that stands out, it's important to think independently and be willing to go against the norm.
1:02:25 - 1:06:53 (04:27)
Summary
Society always tries to steer people towards acceptability, but to achieve great things and have a voice that stands out, it's important to think independently and be willing to go against the norm. By embracing a contrarian mindset, we have the power to make significant progress and drive innovation in a variety of fields.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
The podcast mentions that some people may not understand the product but they can perform well in the terrain, as seen in social media platforms.
1:06:53 - 1:15:13 (08:19)
Summary
The podcast mentions that some people may not understand the product but they can perform well in the terrain, as seen in social media platforms. This is evident as people know about the New Year's resolutions and yet fail to put them into practice, highlighting the importance of systems over goals.
Episode#069 - George MacGill - Mental Models 101 - How To Make Better Decisions
PodcastModern Wisdom
The hosts mention several resources and people in this podcast, but highlight George Mack as someone to follow on Twitter.
1:15:13 - 1:15:47 (00:34)
Summary
The hosts mention several resources and people in this podcast, but highlight George Mack as someone to follow on Twitter.