At Home: Thinking Safety with Instinctive Models

Imagine spotting a suspicious email while paying bills.  Something looks off about it – this is your mental model flagging it as a potential fake by comparing it to past experiences. Or planning a family budget: You think ‘if expenses rise, cut non-essentials’– this is a mental model made to avoid financial difficulties. These home-based models help us to anticipate and mitigate personal risks.

In School: Modeling Knowledge for Academic Success

Students use mental models to break down complex subjects—like diagramming a science experiment to predict outcomes or mapping historical events to understand cause and effect. A strong mental modeling practice helps students discern credible sources from untrustworthy content, avoiding tricks like AI-generated fakes. When students practice making their own mental models, this builds critical thinking and prepares them for making advancements in a wide range of career fields.

At Work: Optimizing Processes with Refined Models

In professional settings, mental models are very often communicated and shared among teams and organizations to streamline operations. For instance, company vision and mission briefs synchronize employees on high level goals, and modeling business process rules such as for supply chain disruptions (‘if delay occurs, then activate backup supplier’) anticipates and mitigates operational risks. Mental models also help us spot important anomalies, such as suspicious requests for internal company information. By formalizing mental models, teams mitigate risks and identify potential threats and opportunities.

In Life: Navigating Uncertainty with Models

Life’s unpredictability demands flexible mental models—from planning travel (‘if weather changes, then reroute’) to adjusting routines (‘if dominant arm breaks, then write with non-dominant hand’). In a connected world, these models help people in all stages of life be more successful in defending themselves against social engineering attempts (‘if text message demands payment or account info, then independently verify’). Mentally modeling scenarios and the possible decision points ahead of time can reinforce awareness and consideration of options when decision-making moments arrive.

No-Tech, Hi-Tech, or Anywhere in Between

Use your mind’s natural ability, manually or with tools.

Our programs help you get the most out of your mental modeling ability, showing you how to apply your existing knowledge about everyday and work problems. Identify more possible options and their potential outcomes, and plan ahead for real-life scenarios at work, school, and home.