Introduction: Why Shane Parrish Changed How the World Thinks
“Master the best of what other people have already figured out.”
This simple mission statement from Shane Parrish has transformed how hundreds of thousands of people approach decisions, learning, and life. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by information, made decisions you regretted, or wondered how successful people think differently, Farnam Street offers a systematic answer.
Shane Parrish isn’t your typical self-help guru. He’s a former Canadian intelligence officer who spent years analyzing information, identifying patterns, and making high-stakes decisions. After his intelligence career, he created Farnam Street, which has become the internet’s premier destination for clear thinking and better decision-making.
Today, his weekly Brain Food newsletter reaches over 600,000 subscribers, his podcast The Knowledge Project is one of the world’s most popular, and his books—including the bestselling Clear Thinking and The Great Mental Models series—have sold millions of copies.
What makes Parrish’s work unique is its foundation in timeless wisdom, not trendy tactics. He draws from Charlie Munger, Buffett, Feynman, ancient philosophers, and modern behavioral science to create a framework for better thinking that works across all domains of life.
This comprehensive guide explores Shane Parrish’s philosophy, the mental models that matter most, The Knowledge Project’s key lessons, and how you can apply Farnam Street principles to make better decisions starting today.
Who Is Shane Parrish?
Full Name: Shane Parrish
Known For: Founder of Farnam Street, Host of The Knowledge Project, Author of Clear Thinking and The Great Mental Models
Background: Former Canadian intelligence officer
Mission: Help people master the best of what others have figured out
Shane Parrish is the wisdom seeker behind Farnam Street, one of the world’s most influential blogs on decision-making, mental models, and learning. His journey from intelligence analyst to thought leader is itself a master class in applying first principles thinking to career transformation.
His Background: From Intelligence Officer to Thought Leader
Parrish spent his early career in Canadian intelligence, where he developed expertise in:
- Information analysis and pattern recognition
- Decision-making under uncertainty
- Identifying signal in noise
- Understanding incentives and human behavior
This intelligence background gave him an unfair advantage in understanding how to think clearly and make better decisions—skills he now teaches to hundreds of thousands.
The Birth of Farnam Street
Farnam Street began in 2007 as a personal learning project during Parrish’s MBA program. Frustrated with memorization-focused education that didn’t develop critical thinking, he started a blog to document his own learning journey.
The name “Farnam Street” comes from the Omaha, Nebraska street where Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway headquarters is located—a tribute to the rational, long-term thinking Buffett and Charlie Munger exemplify.
What started as personal notes became a phenomenon. Today, Farnam Street is:
- Read by 600,000+ subscribers through the Brain Food newsletter
- Trusted by CEOs, investors, and leaders at companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon
- Featured in major publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times
- One of the most influential thinking and decision-making resources worldwide
Shane’s Philosophy
Parrish’s approach centers on several core beliefs:
- Timeless over timely: Focus on principles that don’t change rather than fleeting trends
- Multidisciplinary thinking: Draw wisdom from multiple fields, not just one domain
- First principles reasoning: Break problems down to fundamentals
- Mental models: Build a latticework of thinking tools that compound over time
- Avoiding stupidity > Being brilliant: Focus first on not making dumb mistakes
As he often says: “It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.” (quoting Charlie Munger)
Farnam Street: The Hub of Clear Thinking
Farnam Street (FS.blog) is more than a blog—it’s an intellectual hub dedicated to helping you develop an understanding of how the world works, make better decisions, and live a better life.
What Farnam Street Offers
The Blog:
- In-depth articles on mental models, decision-making, learning, and living well
- 3-4 posts per week covering science, philosophy, psychology, history, and more
- Timeless content designed for repeated reading and reference
Brain Food Newsletter:
- Weekly email to 600,000+ subscribers
- Curated insights, ideas, and wisdom
- Five bullets on interesting topics
- Links to thought-provoking content
The Knowledge Project Podcast:
- Long-form interviews with world-class thinkers
- Guests include Ray Dalio, Annie Duke, Daniel Kahneman, Ryan Holiday, and more
- Deep dives into decision-making, mental models, and expertise
- Over 10 million downloads
Membership Program:
- Exclusive content and courses
- Community of like-minded learners
- Decision-making tools and frameworks
- Monthly workshops
Books:
- The Great Mental Models series (4 volumes)
- Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results
Core Themes of Farnam Street
1. Mental Models
Building a latticework of thinking tools from multiple disciplines to understand reality better.
2. Decision-Making
Improving the quality of decisions through better thinking, not just more information.
3. Learning How to Learn
Developing meta-learning skills that accelerate growth in any domain.
4. Reading Effectively
Extracting maximum insight from books and applying what you learn.
5. The Art of Living
Integrating wisdom into daily life to live more intentionally and meaningfully.
The 40+ Most Important Shane Parrish Life Lessons
FROM CLEAR THINKING
1. Ordinary Moments Matter More Than Big Decisions
“Our future depends on ordinary moments. Most of us wrongly believe that we make our own future through big decisions.”
The truth: ordinary moments repeated consistently have far more impact than occasional big choices. How you spend Tuesday afternoon matters more than your annual goal-setting session.
Key Takeaway: Focus on getting ordinary moments right. Excellence is a habit, not an event.
2. The Four Defaults That Sabotage Clear Thinking
Parrish identifies four biological defaults that prevent clear thinking:
The Emotion Default: Responding based on feelings rather than reason
The Ego Default: Protecting self-image instead of seeking truth
The Social Default: Conforming to group expectations
The Inertia Default: Sticking with the familiar even when wrong
Key Takeaway: You can’t avoid these defaults, but you can recognize them and create space for better thinking.
3. Create Space Between Stimulus and Response
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” (Viktor Frankl, quoted frequently by Parrish)
Clear thinking requires creating that space through self-awareness and deliberate practices.
Key Takeaway: The quality of your life depends on the space you create between what happens and how you respond.
4. The First Principle of Decision-Making: The Decider Defines the Problem
The person responsible for the outcome must define the problem. You can’t outsource this critical step.
Defining the problem means identifying:
- What you want to achieve
- What obstacles stand in the way
Key Takeaway: Get the problem right before seeking solutions. A well-defined problem often reveals obvious solutions.
5. Build a Problem-Solution Firewall
Hold two separate meetings: one to define the problem, another to explore solutions. This prevents premature solution-seeking.
Key Takeaway: Separate problem definition from solution exploration. Rushing to solutions before understanding the problem creates terrible decisions.
6. Ask “And Then What?” (Second-Level Thinking)
First-level thinking looks at immediate consequences. Second-level thinking asks what happens after that, and after that, considering ripple effects over time.
Key Takeaway: Most people stop at first-level thinking. Second-level thinking gives you a massive advantage in seeing what others miss.
7. Force Yourself to Find a Third Option
When you see only two choices, you’re thinking in binaries—a sign you don’t fully understand the problem.
Key Takeaway: If you’re considering only two options, force yourself to find at least three. Better options often emerge when you escape false dualities.
8. Consequential + Irreversible = Slow Down
Categorize decisions by two dimensions:
- Consequential (how much does it matter?)
- Reversible (can you undo it?)
Low consequence + highly reversible = decide fast
High consequence + low reversibility = decide slow (as late as possible)
Key Takeaway: Match decision speed to decision type. Most decisions should be made faster than you think; a few should be made much slower.
9. Stop Gathering Information When It’s No Longer Useful
Know when to stop deliberating and start acting. Information-gathering should end when:
- Additional information won’t change your decision
- You’ll lose an opportunity by waiting
- Something makes the choice obvious
Key Takeaway: Don’t seek certainty. Seek sufficient clarity to act intelligently.
10. Seek High-Fidelity, High-Expertise Information
High-fidelity: Close to the source, unfiltered
High-expertise: From people with deep knowledge/experience
Avoid low-fidelity information (filtered, interpreted) and low-expertise opinions (uninformed speculation).
Key Takeaway: Go to the source. Talk to people who recently solved similar problems. See for yourself when possible.
FROM THE GREAT MENTAL MODELS
11. Mental Models Are Thinking Tools That Help You Understand Reality
“The quality of our thinking is proportional to the models in our head and their usefulness in the situation at hand.”
Mental models are representations of how things work. Having more models from more disciplines gives you a more accurate view of reality.
Key Takeaway: Build a latticework of mental models from multiple disciplines. The more tools in your toolbox, the better you can match tool to problem.
12. The Map Is Not the Territory
The model of reality is not reality itself. Maps (models) are reductions that help navigate but aren’t complete representations.
Key Takeaway: Remember that all models are wrong, but some are useful. Don’t mistake the map for the terrain it represents.
13. Circle of Competence: Know What You Know
Understand the boundaries of your knowledge. Operating within your circle of competence dramatically improves decision quality.
Key Takeaway: The size of your circle matters less than knowing where the boundaries are. Most mistakes come from operating outside your competence without realizing it.
14. First Principles Thinking: Reason From the Ground Up
Break problems down to fundamental truths, then reason up from there rather than reasoning by analogy.
Key Takeaway: Don’t accept conventional wisdom uncritically. Question assumptions and rebuild from what’s actually true.
15. Inversion: Think Backwards
Instead of asking “How do I achieve success?” ask “How do I avoid failure?” Inversion often reveals obstacles you wouldn’t otherwise see.
Key Takeaway: Avoiding stupidity is easier than seeking brilliance. Invert, always invert.
16. Occam’s Razor: Simpler Explanations Are More Likely True
When multiple explanations exist, the simplest one (requiring fewest assumptions) is usually correct.
Key Takeaway: Don’t multiply entities unnecessarily. Complexity should be justified, not default.
17. Hanlon’s Razor: Never Attribute to Malice What Is Adequately Explained by Stupidity
People make mistakes, act out of ignorance, or have different incentives—they’re rarely actively malicious.
Key Takeaway: Assume good intent first. Most “malice” is actually miscommunication, ignorance, or misaligned incentives.
18. Second-Order Thinking: Consider Consequences of Consequences
Every action has consequences. Those consequences have consequences. Think through multiple levels.
Key Takeaway: First-order thinking is easy and crowded. Second-order thinking is hard and gives you an edge.
19. Probabilistic Thinking: Estimate Using Math and Logic
Use probability to estimate likelihood rather than thinking in absolutes of certain/impossible.
Key Takeaway: Think in bets, not certainties. Assign probabilities to beliefs and update them with new evidence.
20. Margin of Safety: Build in Buffers
Leave room for error. Don’t optimize for the best-case scenario; prepare for the realistic and plan for the worst.
Key Takeaway: Aim to arrive 15 minutes early, not right on time. Buffers turn potential disasters into minor inconveniences.
FROM FARNAM STREET WRITINGS & THE KNOWLEDGE PROJECT
21. Master the Best of What Other People Have Already Figured Out
You don’t have time to learn everything from scratch. Stand on the shoulders of giants.
Key Takeaway: Read widely, learn from experts, study history. Wisdom compounds when you absorb lessons others paid dearly to learn.
22. Read to Understand, Not to Finish
Reading for completion is vanity. Read to extract insight and change behavior.
Key Takeaway: Slow down with important books. Re-read the greats. One book thoroughly understood beats a hundred skimmed.
23. Avoid the Man with a Hammer Problem
“To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” Having only one mental model makes you see every problem through that single lens.
Key Takeaway: Build a multidisciplinary toolkit. Psychology, economics, physics, biology, history—all offer useful models.
24. Focus on Avoiding Stupidity, Not Seeking Brilliance
Charlie Munger’s maxim (often quoted by Parrish): “It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.”
Key Takeaway: Make a “stupid list” of preventable mistakes. Avoid those systematically and you’ll outperform most people.
25. The Feynman Technique: If You Can’t Explain It Simply, You Don’t Understand It
Richard Feynman’s learning method: explain concepts in simple language as if teaching a child. Gaps in your explanation reveal gaps in your understanding.
Key Takeaway: Test your understanding by teaching. Simplification reveals clarity; jargon hides confusion.
26. Keep a Decision Journal
Document major decisions: what you decided, why, what you expected to happen, your confidence level. Review later to calibrate judgment.
Key Takeaway: Your brain lies to you after the fact. A decision journal creates accountability and helps you learn from outcomes.
27. The Lindy Effect: Things That Have Been Around Longer Are Likely to Stick Around
The longer something has survived, the longer it’s likely to survive going forward. Ancient wisdom often outlasts modern fads.
Key Takeaway: Prioritize ideas and practices that have stood the test of time. They’ve proven their value across contexts.
28. Incentives Drive Behavior
“Show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome.” (Charlie Munger) People respond to incentives, often in ways they don’t consciously recognize.
Key Takeaway: Always ask “What are the incentives at play here?” Incentives explain behavior better than values, intentions, or intelligence.
29. Stay in Your Circle of Competence
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger’s investment principle applies universally: only make decisions where you have genuine expertise.
Key Takeaway: Expanding your circle is good, but knowing its current boundaries is essential. Most mistakes come from overconfidence about what you know.
30. The Work Required to Have an Opinion
“I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that I don’t know the other side’s argument better than they do.” (Charlie Munger)
Key Takeaway: Your opinion is worthless without understanding opposing views deeply. Strong opinions, weakly held aren’t enough—you need informed opinions, firmly held until evidence changes your mind.
31. Go to Bed Smarter Than When You Woke Up
Continuous learning isn’t about credentials; it’s about daily progress toward understanding reality better.
Key Takeaway: Dedicate time daily to reading, thinking, and learning. Compound knowledge over decades for massive advantage.
32. Seek Disconfirming Evidence
We naturally seek information that confirms what we already believe (confirmation bias). Fight this by actively seeking evidence that you’re wrong.
Key Takeaway: Ask “What would have to be true for me to be wrong?” Then look for that evidence specifically.
33. Think in Systems, Not Events
Events are symptoms. Systems produce events. Fix the system, not just the symptom.
Key Takeaway: Recurring problems indicate system issues. One-time fixes to events waste energy without preventing recurrence.
34. Position Over Prediction
It’s easier to position yourself well for multiple futures than to predict which future will occur.
Key Takeaway: Build optionality and resilience rather than betting everything on one predicted outcome.
35. The Buffett Formula: Read 500 Pages a Day
Warren Buffett reads 500 pages daily. Knowledge compounds like interest—the earlier you start, the more you gain.
Key Takeaway: Reading is the ultimate high-ROI activity. An hour reading outweighs hours of busy-work.
36. Be the Student, Not the Authority
Stay intellectually humble. The moment you think you’ve mastered something, you stop learning.
Key Takeaway: Maintain beginner’s mind. Every conversation is a chance to learn something you didn’t know.
37. Environment Shapes Behavior More Than Willpower
You adopt the habits of people you spend time with. Your environment determines your defaults.
Key Takeaway: Design your environment to make good decisions automatic and bad decisions difficult. Surround yourself with people whose default behavior is your desired behavior.
38. Slow Down to Speed Up
Taking time to think clearly accelerates progress by preventing costly mistakes that require back-tracking.
Key Takeaway: The fastest path is often through careful thought, not hasty action. Measure twice, cut once.
39. You’re Not Paid to Be Right, You’re Paid to Get It Right
Being right feels good but isn’t the goal. Achieving good outcomes is the goal, which requires updating beliefs when wrong.
Key Takeaway: Attach your identity to good decision-processes, not to being right. Good processes with flexible beliefs beat ego-defense.
40. Learn From Everyone, Follow No One
Take wisdom from many sources but think for yourself. No guru has all the answers.
Key Takeaway: Be a synthesizer, not a follower. Extract what’s useful from many thinkers and build your own integrated framework.
The Great Mental Models Series: Books That Change How You Think
Volume 1: General Thinking Concepts (2019)
The foundational book introducing nine essential mental models:
- The Map is Not the Territory – Models are reductions of reality, not reality itself
- Circle of Competence – Operate within your knowledge boundaries
- First Principles Thinking – Reason from fundamental truths
- Thought Experiment – Explore ideas through imagination
- Second-Order Thinking – Consider consequences of consequences
- Probabilistic Thinking – Estimate using math and logic
- Inversion – Approach problems backwards
- Occam’s Razor – Simpler explanations are usually correct
- Hanlon’s Razor – Don’t attribute to malice what’s explained by incompetence
Best For: Anyone new to mental models, those wanting fundamental thinking tools.
Volume 2: Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (2024)
Over 20 mental models from the hard sciences, including:
- Relativity – Motion and perception are relative
- Reciprocity – Actions have reactions
- Thermodynamics – Energy conservation and entropy
- Natural Selection – Evolution through selection pressure
- Ecosystems – Interconnected systems in balance
Best For: Understanding how the physical world works and applying scientific principles to decision-making.
Volume 3: Systems and Mathematics (2024)
24+ models from systems thinking and mathematics:
- Feedback Loops – Self-reinforcing or self-correcting patterns
- Equilibrium – Balanced states systems seek
- Bottlenecks – Constraints that limit flow
- Scale – How properties change with size
- Margin of Safety – Buffers against error
Best For: Leaders managing complex systems, anyone wanting to see patterns others miss.
Volume 4: Economics and Art (2024)
24+ models from economics and art including:
- Supply and Demand – Market forces
- Opportunity Cost – The value of alternatives forgone
- Creative Destruction – Innovation disrupting old models
- Aesthetics – Principles of beauty and design
- Narrative – The power of storytelling
Best For: Business leaders, entrepreneurs, anyone interested in markets and human behavior.
Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results (2023)
Parrish’s New York Times bestseller on decision-making mastery.
Part 1: The Enemies of Clear Thinking
The Four Defaults:
- Emotion Default
- Ego Default
- Social Default
- Inertia Default
Plus how to recognize and manage them.
Part 2: Building Strength
Creating the foundation for better decisions:
- Self-awareness practices
- Environmental design
- Safeguards and rules
- Decision-making habits
Part 3: Managing Weakness
Protecting yourself from preventable mistakes:
- Recognizing vulnerabilities
- Building systems that compensate
- Creating accountability
Part 4: Exemplars of Clear Thinking
Real-world examples of exceptional decision-makers and what makes them different.
Key Quote: “We all face thousands of decisions every day. They define the trajectory of our lives. There’s just one problem: most of us have no idea how to make them.”
Best For: Anyone who makes decisions (everyone), leaders responsible for outcomes, knowledge workers whose job is producing decisions.
The Knowledge Project Podcast: Learning from the Best
The Knowledge Project features long-form conversations with world-class performers from diverse fields. Unlike typical interviews, Parrish goes deep into how guests think, not just what they think.
Notable Episodes and Guests
Ray Dalio – Principles, decision-making systems, truth-seeking
Annie Duke – Thinking in bets, decision quality vs. outcome quality
Daniel Kahneman – Cognitive biases, System 1 vs. System 2 thinking
Ryan Holiday – Stoicism, obstacles, ego management
Naval Ravikant – Wealth creation, happiness, reading
Adam Grant – Organizational psychology, re-thinking assumptions
Angela Duckworth – Grit, perseverance, character development
Yuval Noah Harari – History, future of humanity, storytelling
Jim Collins – Great companies, disciplined thought
Robert Greene – Power dynamics, human nature, mastery
What Makes The Knowledge Project Different
1. Preparation: Parrish thoroughly researches guests, reading their books and understanding their work deeply before interviews.
2. Question Quality: He asks questions that reveal mental models and thinking processes, not surface-level opinions.
3. Follow-Up: When guests give interesting answers, he probes deeper rather than moving to the next prepared question.
4. Synthesis: Episodes often connect ideas across disciplines, showing how different fields illuminate each other.
5. Actionability: Conversations focus on applicable wisdom, not just interesting trivia.
Key Themes Across Episodes
- How world-class performers think differently
- Decision-making frameworks and mental models
- Learning strategies and continuous improvement
- Managing ego and seeking truth
- Building systems for sustainable success
- The intersection of multiple disciplines
How to Apply Farnam Street Principles: Your Implementation Guide
Week 1: Foundation Building
Day 1-2: Start Your Decision Journal
- Buy a notebook or create a digital document
- Record your next major decision: what you decided, why, what you expect, confidence level
- Commit to reviewing quarterly
Day 3-4: Identify Your Circle of Competence
- List areas where you have genuine expertise
- List areas where you think you know more than you do
- Commit to staying within boundaries or deliberately expanding them
Day 5-7: Read Shane’s Core Essays
- “The Map is Not the Territory”
- “Circle of Competence”
- “First Principles Thinking”
- Take notes and identify one application for each
Month 1: Building Mental Models
Week 1: Master Three Core Models
- First Principles Thinking
- Inversion
- Second-Order Thinking
Apply each to one decision this week.
Week 2: Study Incentives
- Identify incentives in three situations (work, personal, world events)
- Notice how incentives explain behavior better than stated intentions
Week 3: Practice Probabilistic Thinking
- Assign probabilities to predictions you make
- Track accuracy over time
- Update beliefs based on outcomes
Week 4: Apply Margin of Safety
- Identify three areas where you’re cutting it close
- Build in buffers (time, money, energy)
Month 2-3: Deep Practice
Daily Habits:
- Read 30-60 minutes (timeless books, not news)
- Write down one insight and how you’ll apply it
- Review your decision journal entries
Weekly Practices:
- Subscribe to Brain Food newsletter
- Listen to one Knowledge Project episode
- Practice one mental model deliberately
- Reflect on decisions made that week
Monthly Reviews:
- Evaluate decision outcomes vs. predictions
- Identify patterns in your thinking
- Update your circle of competence map
- Choose next models to master
Month 4-6: Integration and Teaching
Integration:
- Mental models become automatic in daily thinking
- You naturally apply appropriate models to situations
- Decision quality improves measurably
Teaching:
- Explain mental models to others (Feynman Technique)
- Share Farnam Street content with colleagues
- Start your own decision journal practice with your team
Advanced Practices:
- Read all four volumes of The Great Mental Models
- Complete Clear Thinking and implement its framework
- Join Farnam Street Membership for deeper engagement
- Take Shane’s online course “Decision by Design”
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Shane Parrish?
Shane Parrish is the founder of Farnam Street, author of Clear Thinking and The Great Mental Models series, and host of The Knowledge Project podcast. A former Canadian intelligence officer, he’s dedicated to helping people make better decisions by mastering timeless wisdom and mental models. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and nearly every major publication.
What is Farnam Street?
Farnam Street is an online platform dedicated to helping you develop an understanding of how the world works, make better decisions, and live a better life. Founded by Shane Parrish, it includes a blog, the Brain Food newsletter (600,000+ subscribers), The Knowledge Project podcast, books, and online courses focused on mental models and clear thinking.
What are mental models?
Mental models are representations of how things work in the world. They’re thinking tools from different disciplines (physics, biology, economics, psychology) that help you understand reality more accurately. Examples include First Principles Thinking, Circle of Competence, Inversion, and Second-Order Thinking. Building a latticework of mental models from multiple disciplines gives you better judgment and decision-making ability.
What is The Knowledge Project podcast?
The Knowledge Project is Shane Parrish’s podcast featuring long-form conversations with world-class thinkers, performers, and decision-makers. Guests have included Ray Dalio, Daniel Kahneman, Naval Ravikant, Ryan Holiday, and Annie Duke. The podcast goes deep into how people think, not just what they know, with over 10 million downloads.
What is the difference between The Great Mental Models and Clear Thinking?
The Great Mental Models series (4 volumes) teaches specific thinking tools from different disciplines—fundamental models that help you understand reality better. Clear Thinking is about the decision-making process itself—how to create space for clear thinking, manage your defaults, and make consistently better decisions. Think of mental models as your toolbox and clear thinking as knowing when and how to use each tool.
How do I start learning mental models?
Start with Volume 1 of The Great Mental Models, which introduces nine foundational models. Then practice applying one model per week to real decisions. Subscribe to the Brain Food newsletter for weekly insights. Read Farnam Street blog posts systematically. Most importantly, keep a decision journal to track your application and learning.
Is Farnam Street worth the membership cost?
The Farnam Street membership includes exclusive content, courses (like “Decision by Design”), community access, and tools not available elsewhere. If you’re serious about improving decision-making and willing to invest time in the materials, members report significant ROI. However, the free blog, newsletter, and podcast already provide enormous value—start there and upgrade if you want deeper engagement.
How long does it take to see results from applying these principles?
You’ll notice improved decision-making within weeks of consciously applying mental models. However, building a robust latticework of models and making clear thinking your default takes 6-12 months of deliberate practice. Like compound interest, benefits accelerate over time—what seems like small improvements in year one becomes massive advantages by year five.
What’s Shane Parrish’s background in intelligence?
While Shane doesn’t share specific operational details (for obvious security reasons), he worked in Canadian intelligence analyzing information, identifying patterns, and making high-stakes decisions. This experience taught him how to think clearly under pressure, separate signal from noise, and apply rigorous analytical frameworks—skills he now teaches through Farnam Street.
Where should I start with Farnam Street?
- Subscribe to the free Brain Food newsletter
- Read these core blog posts: “The Map is Not the Territory,” “Circle of Competence,” “First Principles”
- Listen to a few [Knowledge Project episodes](https
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