The Library | 100MentalModels

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A drawing of a tidy house slowly decaying and becoming a pile of rubble.

A drawing of a tidy house slowly decaying and becoming a pile of rubble.

The Law of Entropy. Why Buying More Won't Solve Your Problems

1 day ago2 min read

A split-panel sketch showing a person confused by a complex path and another person confidently stepping over pitfalls.

A split-panel sketch showing a person confused by a complex path and another person confidently stepping over pitfalls.

Inversion. The Mental Model of Thinking Backward to Win Forward

6 days ago6 min read

A split-panel sketch illustrating The Framing Effect. On the left, a person smiles happily while looking at a yogurt labeled "99% Fat-Free". On the right, the same person looks concerned and hesitant while looking at an identical yogurt labeled "Contains 1% Fat.

A split-panel sketch illustrating The Framing Effect. On the left, a person smiles happily while looking at a yogurt labeled "99% Fat-Free". On the right, the same person looks concerned and hesitant while looking at an identical yogurt labeled "Contains 1% Fat.

The Framing Effect. How a Single Word Changes Your Mind

6 days ago1 min read

A split-panel sketch showing a person pointing at a $50 steak after a $150 steak was added to the menu.

A split-panel sketch showing a person pointing at a $50 steak after a $150 steak was added to the menu.

The Anchoring Effect. Why Every Sale Feels Like a Good Deal

6 days ago2 min read

A split-panel sketch showing that the pain of losing is greater than the pleasure of gaining. On the left, a person has a small smile while finding $100. On the right, the same person has an intensely pained and exaggerated expression while dropping $100.

A split-panel sketch showing that the pain of losing is greater than the pleasure of gaining. On the left, a person has a small smile while finding $100. On the right, the same person has an intensely pained and exaggerated expression while dropping $100.

Loss Aversion. Why Loss is Worse than Gain

6 days ago2 min read

How can I spot a complicated reality disguised as a simple narrative?

How can I spot a complicated reality disguised as a simple narrative?

The Narrative Fallacy. Why we Simplify a Complicated World

6 days ago2 min read

A split-panel sketch showing WWII bombers with bullet holes and engineers reinforcing the damaged areas.

A split-panel sketch showing WWII bombers with bullet holes and engineers reinforcing the damaged areas.

Survivorship Bias. The Dangers of Believing Old Smokers

6 days ago2 min read

A split-panel sketch showing a person scared of a shark and a person nonchalantly driving in traffic.

A split-panel sketch showing a person scared of a shark and a person nonchalantly driving in traffic.

Availability Heuristic. Why Your Perception of Risk is Flawed

6 days ago2 min read

A person with a magnifying glass on a 5-star review while ignoring a 1-star review, illustrating confirmation bias.

A person with a magnifying glass on a 5-star review while ignoring a 1-star review, illustrating confirmation bias.

Confirmation Bias. Why are we so stubborn?

6 days ago2 min read

A graph of the Dunning-Kruger effect, plotting confidence against competence.

A graph of the Dunning-Kruger effect, plotting confidence against competence.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect. Confidence vs. Competence

6 days ago2 min read

A split-panel sketch contrasting a new, empty restaurant with a "Grand Opening" sign against an old, busy restaurant with a sign saying "Since 1965," illustrating that longevity implies quality.

A split-panel sketch contrasting a new, empty restaurant with a "Grand Opening" sign against an old, busy restaurant with a sign saying "Since 1965," illustrating that longevity implies quality.

The Lindy Effect. How to Choose the Best Books to Read

6 days ago2 min read

A split-panel sketch showing that improvement comes from subtraction, not addition. On the left, a frustrated sculptor fails to add clay to a marble block. On the right, the same sculptor confidently creates a statue by chiseling away, or subtracting, from the marble.

A split-panel sketch showing that improvement comes from subtraction, not addition. On the left, a frustrated sculptor fails to add clay to a marble block. On the right, the same sculptor confidently creates a statue by chiseling away, or subtracting, from the marble.

Via Negativa. How to Improve Your Life by Subtracting

6 days ago2 min read

A three-panel sketch contrasting "Fragile" (a breaking cup), "Robust" (an intact steel ball), and "Antifragile" (a muscle growing stronger from lifting weights).

A three-panel sketch contrasting "Fragile" (a breaking cup), "Robust" (an intact steel ball), and "Antifragile" (a muscle growing stronger from lifting weights).

Antifragility. Why Resilience is Not Good Enough

6 days ago2 min read

A black-and-white sketch divided into two panels. The left panel shows numerous white swans swimming peacefully on a lake under a clear sky. The right panel shows a single, stark black swan abruptly appearing on the same lake, causing ripples and disrupting the scene.

A black-and-white sketch divided into two panels. The left panel shows numerous white swans swimming peacefully on a lake under a clear sky. The right panel shows a single, stark black swan abruptly appearing on the same lake, causing ripples and disrupting the scene.

The Black Swan Theory. How to Prepare for the Unpredictable

6 days ago2 min read

A sketch showing a donut's short-term pleasure and its long-term negative consequences.

A sketch showing a donut's short-term pleasure and its long-term negative consequences.

Second- Order Thinking. How to Think Beyond Immediate Consequences

6 days ago2 min read

A split-panel showing a choice between malice and a mistake, representing Hanlon's Razor.

A split-panel showing a choice between malice and a mistake, representing Hanlon's Razor.

Halon's Razor. Understanding the Meaning of Assumptions

6 days ago2 min read

A razor trimming away a tangled mess of explanations, leaving a single, simple explanation behind, illustrating the principle of Occam's Razor.

A razor trimming away a tangled mess of explanations, leaving a single, simple explanation behind, illustrating the principle of Occam's Razor.

Occam's Razor. A Cure for Overthinking

Aug 152 min read

A claim being tested against evidence, illustrating the principle of falsifiability.

A claim being tested against evidence, illustrating the principle of falsifiability.

Falsifiability. How to tell if someone is lying to you

Aug 152 min read

A person standing confidently inside a defined circle, representing their "circle of competence" and the limit of their true expertise.

A person standing confidently inside a defined circle, representing their "circle of competence" and the limit of their true expertise.

Circle of Competence. How to Combat Overconfidence Bias

Aug 152 min read

A sketch showing a GPS map and a road closed for construction, illustrating the conflict between the model and reality.

A sketch showing a GPS map and a road closed for construction, illustrating the conflict between the model and reality.

The Map Is Not the Territory. How Oversimplification Skews Our View of Reality

Aug 142 min read

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