Rohit Gupta

Gupta presents an illustrative discourse on how we perceive what it is we and other people think and how such processes influence our behavior, even controlling it. He advocates making a personal inquiry into the structure and origin of our thought processes. To do so, he asks us to start with a bottom – up approach to understanding perception and modify our behaviors to accommodate and productively build upon the perception (mental models) of others. Cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, and drug use each have a turn in discussion.

In an interesting focus of the book, he lays out a set of useful principles to consider how we are influenced by filters, but I must say I don't concur with all of them. Among them, he claims they are learned, and in a general sense I agree that they are, however, I also think of the debate about gender self - perception. Gender, in and of itself, is very much a mental model, unlike sex which has nothing to do with self - perception. Rightly or wrongly, many people maintain that gender identity is primarily innate rather than socially determined. There are few other principles that I believe require clarification and better wording or that I disagree with, but my concerns are mostly trivial.

I enjoyed the examples from medicine which he uses to highlight points. He points out that adding habits rooted in a mental model comes easier than letting them go and then notes how this facility increases drug usage. He speaks out strongly against people's propensity to attribute failure to inadequate efforts - that is a mental model to discard.

His prescriptions for winning people to one's perspective stimulate useful thought. To persuade a person to think differently, open a discussion with values rather than facts. Focus on benefits of accepting a new paradigm of thought rather than enunciating all of the flaws of a current one. These are only two examples of issues he discusses.

Interestingly, he discusses the use of psychedelic drugs as an aide to refining mental models. This topic would have made for a better small book unto itself. He doesn't flesh out the biology or the mechanics to his point of view with the same clarity with which he presents other ideas. In this sense it distracts from his highest quality texts. Also, there are undoubtedly readers who will greatly appreciate most of the book but will be put off by the drug topic which really requires a very in-depth discussion of risks and benefits. There is no great harm in catering to them a bit (though he makes repeated reminders to keep experts involved in various decision making of individuals). Drugs could be a post-script leading into a future work.

He drives home the point of how mental models determine history regardless of scale. He starts the book with an historically precarious episode during the Cold War in which one human being may have averted Armageddon. He then ends the book by illustrating how millions or billions of people must reappraise their filters regarding science authority figures to avert another form of Armageddon, specifically one from epidemics.… (meer)

"Mental models are simply the stories we tell ourselves."

This nonfiction book grabbed my attention from the very first page! It provides an interesting perspective on a topic applicable to everyone: how we think.

In this book, Rohit Gupta challenges the reader to think about the mental models that act as their filter and subconsciously determine how they interpret the world. He explores how mental models are responsible for both negative outcomes, such as prejudice and bias, and positive outcomes, such as the extraordinary results of high-performing teams who share a mental model.

This well-researched book draws on numerous examples, such as inventors such as Einstein and Tesla whose thought exercises helped them break out of their mental models. He also shared examples of doctors who struggled to accept new research when it contradicted their mental model of how they had practiced in the past.

Each chapter ends with reflective questions and exercises to help the reader break out of their typical thought patterns. In addition, he gives insight into how meditation and other methods can help us gain fresh perspective.

I found this quote particularly powerful: "A world in which people take time to expose and change their mental models is one where unconscious bias and its deadly repercussions are drastically reduced, people are empowered to pursue what they're particularly passionate about, and innovation isn't impeded by ingrained ways of thinking."

This is a powerful read that challenges you to examine the way you think and view the world. I highly recommend it.… (meer)