Inversion

Inversion - Mental Model Series -7

"It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent. There must be some wisdom in the folk saying, `It’s the strong swimmers who drown." - Charlie Munger.

What is inversion, exactly?

 Inversion is a highly effective decision-making strategy that can be used in many spheres of life. Many hard problems in life can be  best solved when they addressed in reverse.As an illustrative example, one great way to be happy is to avoid things that make you miserable.

I am going back to another Charlie Munger quote again reinforce the above
“What do you want to avoid? Such an easy answer: sloth and unreliability. If you’re unreliable, it doesn’t matter what your virtues are. You’re going to crater immediately. Doing what you have faithfully engaged to do should be an automatic part of your conduct. You want to avoid sloth and unreliability.”
 By avoiding being sloth and unreliable , you are already reliable and star.your journey to succes start right there.

Why Inversion?

It is not enough to think about difficult problems one way. You need to think about them forwards and backward. Inversion often forces you to uncover hidden beliefs about the problem you are trying to solve.

How to adopt?

We can summarize inverted method to problem solving as below:

step 1.Figure out what you want to achieve.
step 2.What do you don't want to happen? This is the worst-case scenario.
step 3.How could the worst-case scenario happen?
step 4.How can you avoid the worst-case scenario?

let us put the above framework to practice

step 1.Figure out what you want to achieve.
Me : I want to drive safely .
step 2.What do you don't want to happen? This is the worst-case scenario.
Me : i want to avoid accidents
step 3.How could the worst-case scenario happen?
Me : 1. Break or equipment failure,
2.Tire burst
3. Fall asleep while driving ( me or the other vehicle drivers)
4.  Situations at junctions  and
5. Over speeding
step 4.How can you avoid the worst-case scenario?
Me 1. Proper maintenance of Break and car
2. Frequent Tire checks
3. Don't drive at odd hours
4. Proper signaling and using indicators at junctions
5. Do not drive more than permitted speed

So now, this is as easy as it gets. We can make this framework for many of our decisions.

Final word 

Combined with forward thinking, backwards or inversion thinking could help you to unlock solutions to difficult problems that may have been holding you back for years.

Footnote -
What are Mental Models ?
“It’s your mind’s toolbox for making decisions. The more tools you have, the more equipped you are to make good decisions. “
A mental model is an explanation of how something works. It is a concept, framework, or worldview that you carry around in your mind to help you interpret the world and understand the relationship between things. Mental models are deeply held beliefs about how the world works. 

For More , read https://jamesclear.com/feynman-mental-models