Mental Models

Mental models are cognitive frameworks that shape how we perceive, understand, and interact with the world around us.

Biology

Adaptation
Ecosystem
Evolution
Extinction
Homeostasis
Natural Selection
Red Queen Effect
Speciation
Symbiosis

Economics

Adverse Selection
Comparative Advantage
Diminishing Returns
Economies of Scale
Game Theory
Incentives
Moral Hazard
Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)
Prisoner's Dilemma
Supply and Demand

Cognitive & Decision-Making

Anchoring
Availability Heuristic
Confirmation Bias
First Principles Thinking
Hanlon's Razor
Inversion
Occam's Razor
Opportunity Cost
Second-Order Thinking
Sunk Cost Fallacy

Systems Thinking

Antifragility
Emergence in Systems Thinking
Feedback Loops
Leverage Points
Lindy Effect
Margin of Safety
Network Effects
Redundancy

Strategy

Asymmetric Risk/Reward
Blue Ocean Strategy
Circle of Competence
Competitive Advantage
Moats
Optionality
Porter's Five Forces
Scenario Planning
SWOT Analysis

Psychology

Authority Bias
Cognitive Dissonance
Commitment Consistency
Dunning-Kruger Effect
Endowment Effect
Framing Effect
Loss Aversion
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Reciprocity
Social Proof

Communication

Bandwidth in Communication
Context in Communication
Encoding/Decoding
Feedback
Metaphor
Narrative Fallacy
Signal vs Noise

Probability & Statistics

Base Rate Neglect
Central Limit Theorem
Correlation vs Causation
Law of Large Numbers
Monte Carlo Simulation
Regression to the Mean
Selection Bias
Survivorship Bias

Mathematics

Bayes' Theorem
Compounding
Expected Value
Exponential Growth
Logarithmic Scale
Normal Distribution
Power Laws
Standard Deviation
Variance

Philosophy

Burden of Proof
Determinism
Falsifiability
Free Will
Holism
Null Hypothesis
Pragmatism
Reductionism

Physics & Engineering

Critical Mass
Equilibrium
Friction
Half-Life
Inertia
Leverage
Momentum
Resonance
Thermodynamics
Velocity