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7 powerful concepts everyone should teach their children:
Compound interest:
Large outcomes are often the result of small gains in performance compounding over the course of years and decades.
Small improvements may look tiny in isolation, but they result in gigantic outcomes when you zoom out.
Large outcomes are often the result of small gains in performance compounding over the course of years and decades.
Small improvements may look tiny in isolation, but they result in gigantic outcomes when you zoom out.
Evolution by natural selection:
People and culture evolve through a process of generational iteration.
In every generation, the fittest organisms reproduce to create the next generation - while the unfittest die away.
Most things in our world are the result of this process.
People and culture evolve through a process of generational iteration.
In every generation, the fittest organisms reproduce to create the next generation - while the unfittest die away.
Most things in our world are the result of this process.
Evolution-environment disconnect:
We evolved in the scarcity of jungles but find ourselves in the abundance of cities with unlimited food and pleasures.
Our biology isn't equipped to deal with this abundance - which often leads to addiction and obesity.
We evolved in the scarcity of jungles but find ourselves in the abundance of cities with unlimited food and pleasures.
Our biology isn't equipped to deal with this abundance - which often leads to addiction and obesity.
Many things around us are designed to exploit this evolutionary disconnect:
• Added sugar to exploit your taste buds
• Pornography to exploit your sex drive
• Social media to exploit your social instincts
Recognizing and limiting these things is critical for a healthy life.
• Added sugar to exploit your taste buds
• Pornography to exploit your sex drive
• Social media to exploit your social instincts
Recognizing and limiting these things is critical for a healthy life.
Epistemology:
The branch of philosophy that differentiates knowledge from belief.
You don't need to believe in the sky or water because you know they are there.
We only believe in something when we are either too lazy or too scared to find the evidence of truth for ourselves.
The branch of philosophy that differentiates knowledge from belief.
You don't need to believe in the sky or water because you know they are there.
We only believe in something when we are either too lazy or too scared to find the evidence of truth for ourselves.
Mental models:
A mental model is a representation of how something works.
It's a mental shortcut that helps us understand how things function.
For example, mental models from physics - like gravity and relativity - explain how the physical world works.
A mental model is a representation of how something works.
It's a mental shortcut that helps us understand how things function.
For example, mental models from physics - like gravity and relativity - explain how the physical world works.
Cognitive biases:
Are errors in thinking that lead to incorrect conclusions and decisions.
Some errors, like confirmation bias, show us how we're always biased towards information that confirms our views.
Avoiding these biases can improve decision-making significantly.
Are errors in thinking that lead to incorrect conclusions and decisions.
Some errors, like confirmation bias, show us how we're always biased towards information that confirms our views.
Avoiding these biases can improve decision-making significantly.
Counter-positioning:
Most of us think that the best way to win is to beat the best at their game.
But the best strategy is often to be the best at the opposite of the game the leader is playing.
See how Amazon became bigger by going online vs competing with Walmart in stores.
Most of us think that the best way to win is to beat the best at their game.
But the best strategy is often to be the best at the opposite of the game the leader is playing.
See how Amazon became bigger by going online vs competing with Walmart in stores.
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I write and share insights about marketing, tech, and psychology.
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- Follow me at @heykahn
I write and share insights about marketing, tech, and psychology.
