20 Most Valuable Thinking Razors, mastering the following principles can help you make better decisions:
-
The Feynman Razor
If you can't explain a complex term to a 5-year-old child, you haven't truly understood it. -
The Smart Friends Razor
If your smartest friend is interested in something, it's worth paying attention to. -
The Rooms Razor
If you have to choose between two rooms, choose the one where you're likely to be the least intelligent person. Once you're in the room, listen more and speak less. -
The Man in the Arena Razor
Throwing stones from the sidelines is easy, but entering the arena is difficult. If you want great rewards, you must enter the arena. -
The Serendipity Razor
Some of what we call "luck" is actually the macro result of countless micro actions. Your daily habits shape these micro actions, and good habits increase your chances of unexpected joys. -
The Uphill Decision Razor
When faced with two choices, choose the one that is more difficult in the short term. -
The Rare Opportunity Razor
There are rare opportunities that most people encounter only 0 to 1 times in their lifetime. They may seem intimidating, but the rewards are enormous. If you're fortunate enough to come across such an opportunity, seize it. -
The Buffett Reputation Razor
Building a reputation takes 20 years, but destroying it only takes 5 minutes. Considering this, you'll approach things differently. -
The Narrative Fallacy Razor
Humans are storytelling creatures. We weave a series of events together to find causal relationships, but reality may simply be the result of luck. -
The Time Billionaire Razor
When choosing between two paths, choose the one that values your time the most. -
The Opinion Razor
If you don't understand the other person's argument better than they do, don't allow yourself to have an opinion on it. -
The Worrying Razor
If you ask a question and the response is raised voices, dismissive gestures, or mockery, you may need to dig deeper into that question. -
The Boasters Razor
Truly successful people rarely feel the need to boast about their success. -
Newton's Flaming Laser Sword
If something cannot be solved through experimentation or observation, it's not worth discussing. Remembering this will save you from wasting a lot of time on pointless arguments online and in real life. -
Hitchens' Razor
Something that can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. -
The Grit Razor
If you have to choose between two equally capable individuals, choose the one who has been "punched in the face" before. Someone who has been through adversity (metaphorical or literal) likely possesses true courage. -
Hanlon's Razor
Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity. -
The Optimist Razor
When choosing who to spend time with, prioritize spending more time with optimists. -
The "What Stays the Same" Razor
Predicting the future is difficult. When preparing for the future, focus on what remains unchanged. -
The Paul Graham Crazy Idea Razor
If someone presents a seemingly crazy idea, ask yourself:
(1) Are they an expert in this field?
(2) Are they a reasonable person?
If your answer to both (1) and (2) is yes, take the idea seriously because it may be a bet on the future.