The One-Inch Frame Two friends argue heatedly about whether a hot dog is a sandwich. One insists it is—bread on both sides, filling in the middle. The other insists it isn't—ask any deli. After twenty minutes, neither has moved an inch. How to Disagree About Categories In March 2008, Paul Graham published "How to Disagree," … Continue reading Frame-Switching: The Hidden Pattern in Pointless Arguments
Tag: reasoning
The Understructure of Thought
Language imposes limitations. When we reason, we use language, whether symbolic or natural. But, our understanding, or, perhaps it is better to talk about it as an intuition, runs deeper than our reason. A common example can be found in a terms like "creepy", "janky", etc. We use these terms when there is uncertainty, when … Continue reading The Understructure of Thought
We Are All Confident Idiots
"An ignorant mind is precisely not a spotless, empty vessel, but one that’s filled with the clutter of irrelevant or misleading life experiences, theories, facts, intuitions, strategies, algorithms, heuristics, metaphors, and hunches that regrettably have the look and feel of useful and accurate knowledge. This clutter is an unfortunate by-product of one of our greatest … Continue reading We Are All Confident Idiots
Cognitive Bias Cheat Sheet
Four problems that biases help us address:Problem 1: Too much information.Problem 2: Not enough meaning.Problem 3: Need to act fast.Problem 4: What should we remember?-Buster Benson, "Cognitive bias cheat sheet." Medium.com. September 1, 2016. Recommend reading this in its entirety, but at minimum, it is worth a click through and scroll to the bottom to … Continue reading Cognitive Bias Cheat Sheet
The Minto Pyramid Principle for Writing
Barbara Minto's "The Minto Pyramid Principle" is a how-to guide for writing concise reports in a management consulting firm that has been around for years. I wrote a one sheet summary of her book over a decade ago that I still sometimes find to be a useful aid for writing. While it might be overkill … Continue reading The Minto Pyramid Principle for Writing
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