BC PRINCIPLES
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Mental models can save your life.

But psychological biases can ruin it.

Here are 10 psychological biases to help you avoid a life of pain and suffering:

 1. Doubt-avoidance:

Doubt and uncertainty make us feel uncomfortable.

And when we don't have clarity, we start rushing decisions to avoid that feeling of uncertainty.

When in doubt, take a deep breath and sleep on it before making a decision.
2. Overoptimism bias:

When we want something badly, we start overestimating our odds of success.

It's why so many people bet on their sports team to win.

It's also why millions buy lottery tickets.

Don't let what you want cloud your judgment of what you should do.
3. Reciprocation:

The tendency to treat others as they've treated us.

When treated well: "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

When treated badly: "An eye for an eye."

Sometimes this tendency can lead to endless conflict.

Resist the urge to reciprocate bad behaviour.
4. Social Proof:

We copy other people's behaviour when making decisions.

Especially when we're feeling uncertain.

This is why so many ads have celebrity endorsements and user testimonials.

Next time you make a decision, be mindful of other people's influence.
5. Deprival-Superreaction :

The psychological pain of losing something is twice as strong as the pleasure of gaining it in the first place.

It's why many gamblers go broke trying to recover from their first loss.

Be careful not to overreact when you lose something you value.
6. Pain avoidance.

Humans have evolved to avoid pain - it's how we survive.

But this bias often leads us to avoid short term psychological pain instead of facing reality - aka denial.

This commonly happens in market bubbles when investors lose touch with business fundamentals.
7. Inconsistency-avoidance:

We have an innate need to appear consistent to others.

We're afraid of people calling us a hypocrite.

But this prevents us from changing dangerous beliefs and harmful behaviours.

Keep this in mind next time you're trying to change a bad habit.
8. Authority bias:

We have a tendency to follow people in positions of authority.

Children follow parents. Soldiers follow generals. Students follow teachers.

But too much blind faith in authority can lead us to follow the wrong people.

Always question the person "in charge."
9. Dunning-Kruger effect:

People tend to overestimate their competence in a given field.

This can lead to terrible decisions:

Bad investments, difficult jobs, and so on.

Try to asses your skills objectively (tests, peer evaluations etc.) before signing up for a big decision.
10. Liking Bias:

When we like someone or something, we begin to overlook their defects:

- Investing in a dubious company because of a charismatic CEO.

- Ignoring someone's flaws because you love them.

Be extra vigilant when making a decision that involves someone you like.

More from Zain Kahn

Zain Kahn
Zain Kahn
@heykahn
11 of the wisest things ever said: 🧵

“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of past centuries.”

― René Descartes

"The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life"

― Confucius

"If you set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing."

― Margaret Thatcher

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned."

― The Buddha
READING
Zain Kahn
Zain Kahn
@heykahn
I went from zero to leading marketing teams in 5 years.

But I never studied marketing in college.

Those 5 years I spent 1,000+ hours studying 100s of books and resources.

I've distilled everything I learned in those 5 years into 7 simple frameworks.

Here they are ― for free:

1. How to write world class


2. Master the psychology of


3. Learn how to


4. Use the best marketing
ALL
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Zain Kahn
Zain Kahn
@heykahn
7 powerful concepts everyone should teach their children:

Compound interest:

Large outcomes are often the result of small gains in performance compounding over the course of years and decades.

Small improvements may look tiny in isolation, but they result in gigantic outcomes when you zoom out.


Evolution by natural selection:

People and culture evolve through a process of generational iteration.

In every generation, the fittest organisms reproduce to create the next generation - while the unfittest die away.

Most things in our world are the result of this process.


Evolution-environment disconnect:

We evolved in the scarcity of jungles but find ourselves in the abundance of cities with unlimited food and pleasures.

Our biology isn't equipped to deal with this abundance - which often leads to addiction and obesity.

Many things around us are designed to exploit this evolutionary disconnect:

• Added sugar to exploit your taste buds
• Pornography to exploit your sex drive
• Social media to exploit your social instincts

Recognizing and limiting these things is critical for a healthy life.
ALL
Zain Kahn
Zain Kahn
@heykahn
Things I know at 28

I wish I understood when I was 18:

Hard work is overrated. Consistency is underrated.

It's not about how hard you swing your bat.

It's about swinging over and over again till you learn to hit it out of the park.

Consistency gets you places hard work doesn't.

You gain confidence after doing something hard ― not before.

Too many people never try hard things because they think confidence is a precondition when, in reality, it's a reward.

Goals are bullshit.

Successful and unsuccessful people have the same goals.

You never rise to the level of your goals. You always fall to the level of your habits.

Goals are just dreams. Habits make them a reality.

h/t @JamesClear

Your need to fit in is your biggest barrier to personal growth.

Let's face it ― most of us would rather be wrong with the crowd than be right alone.

Learning to overcome your constant need for social approval is the first step to growth.
HABIT
Zain Kahn
Zain Kahn
@heykahn
I have a $100,000 business degree.

But I've learned 10x more by reading books.

10 business books that will change your life:

Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher

Lessons:
• You can negotiate anything you want.
• The best negotiation tactic is to first offer the other side something they want.


Drive by Daniel Pink

Lessons:
• Money alone isn't enough to motivate us.
• We are most motivated when we can also achieve control and freedom.


The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson

Lessons:
• The most effective way to get rich is to learn how to build and sell a product.
• The only real test of intelligence is if you get what you want out of life.


Atomic Habits by James Clear

Lessons:
• Habits compound to produce huge results.
• The best way to build habits is to make them easy, attractive and rewarding.
ALL , BOOKSTOREAD , BOOKS

More from Principles

Sahil Bloom
Sahil Bloom
@SahilBloom
10 common errors in reasoning that undermine arguments:

Ad Hominem

Latin phrase for "to the person”—an attack of the individual rather than the argument.

Instead of addressing the argument and its merits, the offender attempts to refute the opposition on the basis of personal characteristics.

All-too-common in political debates.

The Sharpshooter

A man fires a gun at a barn wall and then paints a target around the tightest cluster of bullet holes to create the appearance of accuracy.

The offender selects and highlights evidence that supports the conclusion—while ignoring evidence that may refute it.

The Sunk Cost Fallacy

Sunk costs are economic costs already invested in an activity that cannot be recovered.

The fallacy is found in thinking that you should continue on the basis of all that you've put in—with no regard for future costs or likelihood of ultimate success.

The Red Herring

The kippered herring was a smelly fish used to distract hunting dogs while training them to focus on a scent.

"Red herring" is now synonymous with distraction.

The offender distracts from the argument with a seemingly related—but actually unrelated—point.
PRINCIPLES
Sahil Bloom
Sahil Bloom
@SahilBloom
The most powerful paradoxes of life:

The Persuasion Paradox

Have you noticed that the most argumentative people rarely persuade anyone?

The most persuasive people don’t argue—they observe, listen, and ask questions.

Argue less, persuade more.

Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.

The Effort Paradox

You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless.

Effortless, elegant performances are often the result of a large volume of effortful, gritty practice.

Small things become big things. Simple is not simple.

The Wisdom Paradox

“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.” — Albert Einstein

The more you learn, the more you are exposed to the immense unknown.

This should be empowering, not frightening.

Embrace your own ignorance. Embrace lifelong learning.

The Growth Paradox

Growth takes a much longer time coming than you think, and then it happens much faster than you ever would have thought.

Growth happens gradually, then suddenly.

When you realize this, you start to do things differently.
LEARNING , PRINCIPLES
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Sahil Bloom
Sahil Bloom
@SahilBloom
A paradox is a seemingly self-contradictory statement that proves true.

The most powerful paradoxes I’ve found:

The Paradox of Failure

You have to fail more to succeed more.

Our greatest moments of growth often stem directly from our greatest moments of failure.

Don’t fear failure.

Learn to fail smart and fast—never fail the same way twice.

Always put yourself in the arena.

The Paradox of Persuasion

Ever notice that the most argumentative people rarely persuade anyone of anything?

Persuasive people don’t argue—they observe, listen, and ask questions.

Argue less, persuade more.

Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.

The Paradox of Productivity

Work longer, get less done.

Parkinson's Law says that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.

When you establish fixed hours to work, you'll find unproductive ways to fill it.

Work like a lion instead—sprint, rest, repeat.

The Paradox of Effort

You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless.

Effortless, elegant performances are simply the result of a large volume of consistent, effortful practice.

Small things become big things.

Simple is not simple.
PRINCIPLES
Universal Mind
Universal Mind
@univ_mind_
Top 20 Most Powerful Quotes From Scientists of All Time

\\ Thread //


1.

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.”

― Albert Einstein

2.

"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom. "

― Isaac Asimov

3.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."

— Isaac Newton

4.

"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. "

― Neil deGrasse Tyson

5.

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."

― Charles Darwin
PRINCIPLES
The Wise Sage
The Wise Sage
@TheWiseSage_
7 laws to live by:

1.


2.


3.


4.


5.
PRINCIPLES

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💬 I often get Q’s like these:

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Surely if I know the answers to these questions, but still fail over and over again, these answers aren’t that useful. 🤷‍♀️

So what’s a better question to ask? 🤔

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Focusing on what survived, while ignoring what made it survive in the first place.

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What makes @WIP, @BetaList, and to some extent @AllStartupJobs succeed where my countless other attempts failed?

What separates a failed product 👎 from a successful product 👍?

Honestly, I don’t know. I wish I did.

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