Mental Models on Chris'Log

Active High Cognitive Load: Unlocking the Pro Mode of Attention

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +1000

Sophisticated people don’t believe that the world’s scarcest resource is money—money might be the least scarce resource in the world. Some think it’s time; after all, everyone has only 24 hours a day, but time cannot be traded directly. What is truly scarce is your attention.

Attention is the cognitive resource you consistently allocate to a task, the focus of your mind on a single point in the world, which simultaneously implies the ruthless filtering of a massive amount of other information.

The Free Energy Principle: Living is Alignment

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:52:48 +1000

The mental tool for this session is the “Free Energy Principle (FEP),” first proposed by British neuroscientist Karl Friston around 2005. We’ve mentioned it briefly before, and you might have heard the term elsewhere, but you may not realize just how powerful it is.

Friston’s 2010 review paper on free energy theory [1] is now one of the most cited works in neuroscience. The Free Energy Principle is hailed as the “Grand Unified Theory of Neuroscience,” considered a masterpiece integrating physics, biology, neuroscience, and cybernetics…

Self-Determination Theory: Why Top Performers Are Never 'Grindset' Martyrs

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 20:28:01 +1000

An in-depth exploration of Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to understand why true excellence stems from internal agency rather than external pressure. Learn about the six levels of motivation and the three basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—that fuel high-quality performance and well-being.

Power-Seeking Theorem: Why Being 'Not a Tool' is the Ultimate Growth Strategy

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +1000

Exploring the Power-Seeking Theorem from AI research and its connection to the ancient Chinese wisdom of ‘Junzi Bu Qi’. Learn why optimizing for options is the best strategy for life.

The Core: Your Three "Selves"

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:59:09 +1000

An exploration of a three-tier model of the self—Process Self, Interface Self, and Core Self—drawing parallels with AI architectures to understand how to achieve genuine personal growth by updating internal “parameters.”

Possibility: Uncertainty Is the Fuel of Meaning

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 14:42:16 +1000

An exploration of five unavoidable types of uncertainty in the universe, arguing that uncertainty is not an enemy to be eliminated but rather the ‘fuel’ that provides life with meaning and vitality.

Constraints: Respecting Reality Before Taking Action

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 14:26:25 +1000

An exploration of why many popular narratives fail to account for the ‘hard constraints’ of reality, using examples from literature and Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative to emphasize the importance of respecting limitations before taking action.

Agency: The Conceptual Trap of Steady-State Survival

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +1000

An insightful exploration of ‘steady-state survival logic’—a set of outdated cultural beliefs rooted in resource scarcity, strong conformity, and oversimplified worldviews. It challenges readers to break free from these ‘mediocre’ concepts like risk aversion and obedience, advocating instead for agency and complex mental models in a high-volatility modern world.

Heavy Tail: Our World Obeys Extreme Values

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 11:00:00 +1000

A deep dive into the ‘heavy-tailed distribution’ and why our world is governed by extreme outliers rather than averages. It explores the difference between the ‘additive world’ and the ‘multiplicative world,’ explaining how positive feedback loops create the massive disparities we see in wealth, fame, and scientific progress.

Narrative: The First Principle of Our Universe

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +1000

A profound exploration of why ’narrative’—the coherent description of interconnected facts—is more fundamental than physics. It explains how relativity, quantum mechanics, and gravity provide the necessary structure for storytelling, and how narratives drive our consciousness, meaning, and collective cooperation.

A Dictionary of Modern Mental Models: Tools for Advanced Intelligence

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +1000

Take up handy weapons and align with advanced intelligence.

This is a thinking tools book for the present and future, condensing interdisciplinary core concepts and models into entries that can be immediately applied. Each entry is a powerful tool for understanding the world, making decisions, and creating value. The book provides not only definitions and sources, but also practical guidance and key insights, helping you quickly master advanced cognitive methods in work, study, and life. Whether you are a professional, entrepreneur, manager, or explorer seeking to expand your cognitive boundaries, this dictionary can be your portable toolbox of ideas.