Mental Models

A work in progress to capture the mental models that shape my worldview.

All models are wrong, but some are useful.

History

• Theories of History
• The Cognitive Revolution
• There has never been a natural way of life
• Violence has historically fluctuated
• The Curtain of Silence
• The Neolithic Revolution
• Imagined Order
• There is no justice in history

Misc

• Quake Books
• Roles of Academia vs Industry

Systems thinking

• Proximate vs. Ultimate Causes
• Second Law of Thermodynamics (Law of Entropy)
• Navigating Complexity
• Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom

Political science

• Interest Group Advocacy
• Lobbying as Representative Democracy
• Role of Public Opinion in Policy Making
• Revolving Door in Politics
• Institutionalization of Social Movements
• Advantage of the Status Quo
• Patronage and Ideology in Politics