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The importance of innovation
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How to think big and take risks
"Well, I do think there’s a good framework for thinking. It is physics. You know, the sort of first principles reasoning.
(...) What I mean by that is, boil things down to their fundamental truths and reason up from there, as opposed to reasoning by analogy.
Through most of our life, we get through life by reasoning by analogy, which essentially means copying what other people do with slight variations."
ELON MUSK
662
3.42K reads
First Principle Vs. Analog Thinking
- First principles thinking: actively questioning every assumption you think you know about a given problem or scenario and then creating new knowledge and solutions from scratch.
- Reasoning by analogy: building knowledge and solving problems based on prior assumptions, beliefs and widely held ‘best practices’ approved by majority of people.
685
2.7K reads
Elon Musk's 3 Steps Principle Thinking
- Identify and define your current assumptions: When next you’re faced with a familiar problem or challenge, write down your current assumptions about them.
- Breakdown the problem into its fundamental principles: These fundamental principles are basically the most basic truths or elements of anything.
- Create new solutions from scratch.
826
3.14K reads
"It is important to view knowledge as sort of semantic tree.
Make sure you understand the fundamental principles, ie the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to.”
ELON MUSK
645
2.61K reads
First Principles Thinking In Action
Assumption: “I just can’t find enough time to workout and achieve my weight loss goals.”
First principles thinking:
- What do you really need to reach your weight loss goal? I need to exercise more, preferably 5 days a week for an hour each time.
- Could you still lose weight exercising less frequently, if so how? Possibly, I could try 15 minute workouts, 3 days a week. These could be quick high intensity full body workouts that will speed up my fat loss in less time.
121
1.81K reads
“The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.”
MORTIMER ADLER
135
2.17K reads
CURATED BY
For every question, there is an answer. For every problem, there is a solution. For everything else, there is an explanation.
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