Thinking machines

Early in college, I was walking with one of my friends Erfan and we were discussing a matter when he said something that sounded very insightful. What was more interesting than the answer itself, was that how come a person that is the same age as me and more or less has the same amount experienced on the matter, have better ideas about it?

The more generalized form of the question can be: "How come some people have better ideas than others? Why what they say sounds better? How can we Become more like them?"

For the purpose of this writing, let's look at the human mind like a machine. It receives input, does some sort of processing and output is generated. The natural conclusion from this way of looking at the mind, can be that:

  • The amount and the quality of your mind's output, is highly dependent on the quality of the input it receives. (fuel)
  • The thinking tools you have and the framework with which you think determines how effective it your mind is in turning the inputs into useful outputs. (the engine)

Fuel

So, if you are to improve your thinking, the first thing you have to do is to consume lots of good content. When I say content, you might think articles, books, X, or Youtube and you are right. But an important part that is easy to miss is the people you interact with. You ought to surround yourself the best people you can find. Charlie Munger puts this perfectly:

Acquire worldly wisdom and adjust your behavior accordingly. If your new behavior gives you a little temporary unpopularity with your peer group... then to hell with them! 1
1. Maybe this is not the perfect way of using this quote. I used it with an emphasis on the "acquire" and "peer group". But the part that is easy to miss is "adjust your behavior accordingly". This goes back to what I said in the introduction about action being required in order for thought to be productive.

Now if you are an immigrant like myself and are about to nag about how hard it is to find good new friends that share this passion for learning, I'll throw another Munger quote at you:

I think you learn economics better if you make Adam Smith your friend. That sounds funny, making friends among the “eminent dead,” but if you go through life making friends with the eminent dead who had the right ideas, I think it will work better for you in life and work better in education. It's way better than just giving the basic concepts. 2
2. Again, using the quote in a twisted way. Here, Charlie is talking about the importance of getting to know the people in order to better understand their ideas.

Thanks to the internet and the social media, we are not limited to the dead who left behind some writing. My suggestion is to find the people who are active in the areas you are interested in and listen to what they have to say.

The engine

Just reading a lot might not be enough. As I said, two people can have the same amount of experience, but one can have better ideas. I think it's because they think in a different way. They have better tools at their disposal and know when to use each one. Charlie Munger calls these tools mental models and calls for building "a latticework of mental models".

But how have they built such framework?

I think the best way to do it, is by learning the fundamental sciences and trying to use them in your day-to-day life. It cab be hard science, or social science. They both will become handy in specific situations. I'd suggest learning math, physics, and statistics, and psychology.

When facing a problem, you should be able to break it down into smaller problems, ones that can be solved by using the fundamental ideas you have learned, and then compose them together to form a solution for the original problem. And this is what you will hopefully learn by learning these fundamental ideas.

You may find these books helpful for critical thinking:

  • How to Read a Book Revised and Updated Edition by Charles Van Doren and Mortimer J. Adler
  • Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking by Neil Browne and Stuart M. Keeley
  • Poor Charlie's Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger by Charles T. Munger

Notes

This is not a static document. It is a living one. As I said in the introduction, I'm thinking this through as I write about it.

As a fellow learner who is at the beginning of this lifelong journey, I'm figuring this out as I go. There are definitely flaws in this writing and the core idea is half baked. But I still think there is value in sharing it with other people. If you have any feedback, please feel free to reach out to me through my socials.

Happy thinking!