The Molecule of More

THE MOLECULE OF MORE

How well  our  models fit  the  real  world is  of great importance. If our 
models are poor, we will make bad predictions about the future and
subsequently bad choices. Poor models of reality may be caused by
many things: not  having enough information, difficulty with abstract 
thinking, or the stubborn persistence of wrong assumptions. Such
bad assumptions may be so harmful that they lead to psychiatric ill-
nesses such as anxiety and depression. For example, if a child grows
up with critical parents, she may develop the conviction that she is an
incompetent person, and this belief will shape the models of the world
that she creates all her life. Therapists can address these faulty, often
unconscious assumptions through psychotherapy, which may include
insight-oriented psychotherapy, in which the patient and the thera-
pist work to uncover suppressed memories that locked in the negative
assumptions. Another helpful technique is CBT, which addresses the
assumptions head on, and teaches the patient practical strategies for
changing them.
As we gain experience with the world, we develop better and better
models, and this is the basis of wisdom. We embrace models that work
well, and discard the ones that fail to take us where we want to go.
Knowledge passed on from previous generations can help us improve
our  models in  a  different way  than direct experience. We  have folk  wis-
dom that tells us “a stitch in time saves nine,” as well as the inherited
knowledge of the great scientists and philosophers.

BREAKING MODELS: STARTING DOWN

THE PATH OF CREATIVITY

If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

—proverb

Models are powerful tools, but they have disadvantages. They can
lock us in to a particular way of thinking, causing us to miss out on
opportunities to improve our world. For instance, most people know