The Almighty Formula

Once in a while, an influential person tweets “We studied the Almighty Formula in school, but I’ve never used it in the real world”.

This is a particularly dangerous idea, especially for inexperienced undergrads who find University life challenging.

Confirmation bias sets in - the tendency to interpret information as confirmation of what you already believe - and they disregard conventional education, not necessarily because it’s the best decision to do so, but really because it’s hard, and believing it's unnecessary sounds convenient.

Then they get into the Game of Life perilously unprepared for the mental rigours of the game.

But what is a formula?

- a method or procedure for achieving something

So let’s look at the famous Almighty Formula for example.

It was created to help solve Quadratic Equations.

While we may not encounter the specific mathematical problems (Quadratic equations) that require us to use the Almighty Formula to progress, we find that in attempting to solve them repeatedly, our brains unlock a mystery.

We learn (painstakingly) that every problem in life can be unlocked with a given formula, when applied methodically and with focused attention.

The wisdom of formulas is that there is (almost) nothing new under the sun.

Someone somewhere has solved it and documented their best thinking for others to use and perhaps improve upon.

In the modern world, these formulas for problem solving are called ‘Mental Models’.

There are mental models for solving problems in business, psychology, relationships, etc.

This letter is not intended to teach them per se, but to introduce you to them as this framework that has made me a more effective player of the Game of Life.

Mental Models will help you simplify life, become a more efficient thinker and make you stand a head taller than your contemporaries.

Wouldn't you like that? You can tell me. I won't tell anyone 😉

There are many videos and articles on the topic but here’s a 10-minute summary of Mental Models by Vicky Zhao.

The next time someone says they never used Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, etc, in life, know that they haven't unlocked the metaphor.

It’s about persistently applying your mental powers to a problem until it is solved, sometimes with help of formulas.

When we solve a problem, we get rewarded.

Ain’t that life, really?

So what is it you're struggling with?

Chances are, that there's an existing Mental Model (or formula) that will help you simplify or obliterate it.

And this is on a tangent but did you know that life itself is all math?

That’s a different sermon for a different Sunday.

And hey, don’t procrastinate.

Take 10 minutes to watch Vicky Zhao’s video now.

Talk soon,