The Inversion Mental Model

The concept of anti-goals is grounded in inversion—a foundational mental model that says that complex problems are often easier solved backwards vs. forwards.

With traditional goals, we envision the optimal outcome. We then build systems that will—hopefully—lead to that outcome.

This is important and necessary—but it’s incomplete. Anti-goals leverage inversion to complete the picture.

Anti-goals are the things we DON'T want to happen—either as final outcomes or along the way.