Mental models

Models are productive representations of reality. The more productive the model, the more accurately it predicts the outcome, the better.

The world is chaos and we seek to make sense of it. Unfortunately we cannot truly know anything in the fullest sense of the word that is not self-evident or incorrigible.

Models offer us the ability to reduce the complex world into a simple frame that we can understand and use to make decisions. Less-effective models are tossed aside in favor or newfound more-effective ones.

The product of all these models overlaid together is known as a paradigm.

We should seek to develop increasingly mature and effective models of reality as a means of growing in intelligence.

Examples:

• Your concept, or model, of a prophet determines your relationship and ability to follow the prophet.