Mental Models

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

All models are wrong, but some are useful.

Philosophy

• Freedom and Equality
• Well-being and Prosocial Behavior

Psychology

• Basic Psychological Needs
• What Causes Generous Behavior?
• What Motivates Billionaires?

Systems thinking

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

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
• Cognitive Dissonance Is an Essential Cultural Feature

Misc

• Quake Books
• Roles of Academia vs Industry
• Look at the Disagreements to Understand a Topic

Political science

• Interest Group Advocacy
• Lobbying as (Flawed) 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