"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."

<ol>
<li>Identify and define your current assumptions: When next you’re faced with a familiar problem or challenge, write down your current assumptions about them.</li>
<li>Breakdown the problem into its fundamental principles: These fundamental principles are basically the most basic truths or elements of anything.</li>
<li>Create new solutions from scratch.</li>
</ol>

Elon Musk's 3 Steps Principle Thinking

"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.”

“The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.”

<ul>
<li>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. </li>
<li>Reasoning by analogy: building knowledge and solving problems based on prior assumptions, beliefs and widely held ‘best practices’ approved by majority of people.</li>
</ul>

First Principle Vs. Analog Thinking

Assumption: “I just can’t find enough time to workout and achieve my weight loss goals.”
First principles thinking:
<ul>
<li>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. </li>
<li>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.</li>
</ul>

First Principles Thinking In Action

Dig into this collection about Elon Musk to see how his brain works, the future he envisions for the world, and a lot more.

books

Books

problemsolving

Problem Solving

business

Business

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

Inside The Mind of Elon Musk

By the age of 46 years old, Elon Musk has innovated and built three revolutionary multibillion dollar companies in completely different fields - Paypal (Financial Services), Tesla Motors (Automotive) and SpaceX (Aerospace). This list doesn't even include Solar City (Energy), which he helped build and acquired for $2.6 Billion recently.

ELON MUSK

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ELON MUSK

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Comparison vs. First Principles Thinking