[Image source: Wait But Why]
Takeaways
“Sometimes called “reasoning from first principles,” the idea is to break down complicated problems into basic elements and then reassemble them from the ground up. It’s one of the best ways to learn to think for yourself, unlock your creative potential, and move from linear to non-linear results.” — Shane Parrish
“A first principle is a foundational proposition or assumption that stands alone. We cannot deduce first principles from any other proposition or assumption.” — Shane Parrish
“The difference between reasoning by first principles and reasoning by analogy is like the difference between being a chef and being a cook. If the cook lost the recipe, he’d be screwed. The chef, on the other hand, understands the flavor profiles and combinations at such a fundamental level that he doesn’t even use a recipe. He has real knowledge as opposed to know-how.” — Shane Parrish
“If we never learn to take something apart, test the assumptions, and reconstruct it, we end up trapped in what other people tell us — trapped in the way things have always been done. When the environment changes, we just continue as if things were the same.
- When it comes down to it, everything that is not a law of nature is just a shared belief. Money is a shared belief. So is a border. So are bitcoins. The list goes on.” — Shane Parrish
“The thoughts of others imprison us if we’re not thinking for ourselves.” — Shane Parrish
My two cents: My favorite metaphor for first principle thinking is the one Shane mentions about the chef and the cook, which he cites is from this piece here. Chef’s don’t need recipes because they know ingredients/the art of cooking from first-principles.
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