How to Think Like a Genius with First Principles Thinking

What is it? Examples? How to use it?

So you come to an obstacle in your day-to-day life. What do you do? Turn around and hope the impediment will be gone tomorrow? Or do you figure a way around it?

This video is an example of First Principles thinking:

How to Think Like a Genius with First Principles Thinking

Do you want to learn how to think like a genius? Do you want to solve problems that seem impossible? Do you want to discover new ideas that no one else has thought of? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might want to try first principles thinking.

What is First Principles Thinking?

First principles thinking is a way of thinking that starts from the most basic facts and builds up from there. It is like building a house from scratch, instead of copying someone else’s design. Think about breaking down a puzzle into its smallest pieces, instead of following a pre-made solution.

First principles thinking helps you to avoid assumptions, biases, and opinions that might cloud your judgment.

• It helps you see things as they are, not as they appear to be.

• It helps you find the root cause of a problem, not just the symptoms.

• It helps you to create original and innovative solutions, not just copy existing ones.

Examples of First Principles Thinking

Some of the most famous and successful people in history have used first principles thinking to achieve amazing things:

• Aristotle: He was one of the first philosophers to use first principles thinking. He questioned everything and tried to find the fundamental truths about reality, logic, ethics, and science. He is considered the father of Western philosophy and the founder of many fields of knowledge.

• Isaac Newton: He was one of the greatest scientists of all time. He used first principles thinking to discover the laws of motion, gravity, optics, and calculus. He revolutionized physics, mathematics, and astronomy. He is regarded as one of the key figures of the Scientific Revolution.

• Elon Musk: He is one of the most visionary and influential entrepreneurs of our time. He used first principles thinking to create SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity, and Neuralink. He aims to make humanity a multi-planetary species, accelerate the transition to sustainable energy, and merge humans with artificial intelligence. He is admired for his bold and innovative ideas.

  
  Unfortunately, he didn’t use “First Principles” when buying and running Twitter Garbage Dump X. He used the opposite of said principles.

How to Use First Principles Thinking

You might say to yourself: how can I use first principles thinking in my own life? How can I think like a genius? Here are some steps you can follow to practice first principles thinking:

1. Identify a problem or a goal. Think of something that you want to solve or achieve. It can be big or small, personal or professional, simple or complex. For example, you might want to lose weight, start a business, learn a new skill, or travel the world.

2. Ask why. Try to understand why you have this problem or goal. What is the reason behind it? What is the purpose of it? What is the motivation for it? For example, you might want to lose weight because you want to be healthier, happier, or more attractive.

3. Question your assumptions. Try to find out what you already know or believe about this problem or goal. What are the facts and evidence that support your knowledge or belief? What are the sources and reliability of your information? What are the limitations and gaps of your understanding? For example, you might assume that you need to eat less and exercise more to lose weight, but is that true? Is taking semaglutide the answer? How do you know? What are the alternatives?

4. Break it down. Try to divide your problem or goal into smaller and simpler parts. What are the essential elements or components that make up your problem or goal? What are the relationships or interactions between them? What are the dependencies or constraints among them? For example, you might break down your weight loss goal into calories, nutrients, metabolism, hormones, activity, and lifestyle.

5. Find the first principles. Try to identify the most basic and fundamental facts or truths about each part of your problem or goal. What are the things that you cannot doubt or deny? What are the things that you cannot change or avoid? What are the things that you can use as a foundation or a starting point? For example, you might find that the first principle of weight loss is the law of thermodynamics, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

6. Build it up. Try to combine and synthesize the first principles into a new and original solution or plan for your problem or goal. What are the logical and creative ways that you can use the first principles to solve or achieve your problem or goal? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option? What are the risks and uncertainties involved? For example, you might build up a new weight loss plan based on the first principle of thermodynamics, which involves manipulating your energy intake and expenditure.

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First principles thinking is a powerful and effective way of thinking that can help you to think like a genius. It can help you to see things more clearly, understand things more deeply, and create things more innovatively. It can help you to solve almost any problem and achieve any goal that you set for yourself. I’ve learned that almost all problems have a solution.

more:

• Elon Musk on the Power of Thinking for Yourself by James Clear

• Behind Elon Musk’s Management Philosophy: First Principles

• First Principles: The Building Blocks of True Knowledge

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