I have a giant relational database made in TheBrain called “Thinking Tools” that I use when thinking about problems. It splits up thinking tools into three categories:
1. Mental Models: broad ways of framing the world that can give you new perspectives on problems, solutions, or or objects.
2. Power Tools: Common mental moves or framing tricks you can do to get you closer to your goal.
3. Processes: Step by step flowcharts that are good in specific situations to get particular results.
In my mind:
The Ladder of Abstraction is a mental model. Babble and Prune is a mental model. They’re broad ways of framing the world that can give you a new perspective and tell you how to apply particular processes or power tools.
Specificity is a power tool. Abstraction is a power tool. They’re broad mental moves that can often be useful, and are helped greatly by understanding the mental models they grow out of.
I have a giant relational database made in TheBrain called “Thinking Tools” that I use when thinking about problems. It splits up thinking tools into three categories:
1. Mental Models: broad ways of framing the world that can give you new perspectives on problems, solutions, or or objects.
2. Power Tools: Common mental moves or framing tricks you can do to get you closer to your goal.
3. Processes: Step by step flowcharts that are good in specific situations to get particular results.
In my mind:
The Ladder of Abstraction is a mental model. Babble and Prune is a mental model. They’re broad ways of framing the world that can give you a new perspective and tell you how to apply particular processes or power tools.
Specificity is a power tool. Abstraction is a power tool. They’re broad mental moves that can often be useful, and are helped greatly by understanding the mental models they grow out of.
The Meta Model is an example of a process for creating specificity. Thinking at the Edge is another process for creating specificity. Why/How Laddering is a process for traversing the ladder of abstraction.