First principles thinking is a methodology for removing assumptions from foundational factual knowledge. Cutting through the noise to the underlying truth allows us to build off a sturdy foundation. Failure to do so leaves us on shaky ground.
A first principle is a basic proposition that cannot be deduced further from any other proposition. Aristotle defined it as “the first basis from which a thing is known.” To get to this point, we have to ask ourselves what is true. Not only what we think to be true, but what is fundamentally, observably, and proven to be true. These truths are the basic building blocks with which we can construct solutions to all types of problems. First principles thinking simplifies complex issues.
Examples of Individuals Using First Principles Thinking
Many of the world’s greatest minds have employed first principles thinking. Da Vinci, Darwin, and the Founding Fathers of the United States all exemplify the importance of first principles thinking. And it’s still used to this day. Elon Musk is one such contemporary example. Two instances where he successfully used first principles thinking are with SpaceX and Hyperloop.
With SpaceX, Musk thought rockets were far too expensive. So he sought out basic truths about costs and quantities of materials required for making rockets. It turned out to be an extremely small portion of what it cost to purchase a complete rocket. Encouraged, he built off that knowledge of rocket materials and put an estimate together for costs to start a company, hire rocket scientists and engineers to build rockets, and so on. The resulting cost left him with enough margin of safety to make the endeavor attractive.
For Hyperloop, Musk understood that over long distances, trains have better fuel economy per weight of cargo when compared to road vehicles. Part of the train’s advantage is due to lower friction on rails. How else could Musk reduce friction? By making the train hover and removing wind. So he thought up how he could use magnets to make the Hyperloop hover and enclose it in a tube to remove some of the air.
As Musk has demonstrated, first principles thinking is a catalyst for creativity.
Examples of Groups Using First Principles Thinking
Entire populations have used first principles thinking to challenge the status quo. For centuries many societies considered women to be intellectually inferior to men. It was literally believed that a woman’s brain was not physically capable of comprehending various topics that men tended to, such as scientific, political, and business concepts. How foolish that thinking was; it was a terrible assumption.
Slowly over time society reconsidered this topic and asked more questions. Why did so few women know what men knew? Why did they not achieve the same as men in the realms of science and business? The easy answer at the time was two-fold: first, their brains were made differently and thus weren’t able to comprehend the topics of men, and second (maybe because their brains were incapable), women didn’t desire to pursue a life outside of home-making. Other factors weren’t considered, such as the lack of educational resources allocated to women, societal pressures, and a lack of role models.
After cutting through the bad assumptions and understanding women are just as intelligent as men, the social narrative slowly changed. Women began going to school beyond elementary education. They entered the workforce in a meaningful way and contributed significantly to academic research. Where would we be without the societal empowerment of women? Thanks to first principles (and remarkable willpower by scores of women) the potential for roughly half the population was finally unleashed.
In a world rife with status quo bias and “this is the way we’ve always done it” tendencies, first principles thinking is an effective tool for tearing down the ineffective constructs of life, identifying sturdy foundational truths, and building back better.
Ask Why
Young children are notorious for getting to first principles. Much to the annoyance of those around them, kids question everything. And asking why things are the way that they are is their question of choice.
We can use this form of questioning as a reminder and a guide for getting to foundational truths in our own lives. Socrates developed an adult method of questioning that examines the origin of an idea, identifies assumptions and questions them, looks for evidence that both supports and challenges ideas, and considers alternative ideas. He discovered truths by asking questions. Today we call this Socratic questioning. We benefit from this by asking thoughtful questions. Doing so makes it easier to determine the validity of ideas.
First Principles are Different for Different People
First principles differ between people. That is because not all situations require the same level of derivation. A theoretical scientist, for example, must break down the laws of science in order to make new theories about the way the universe works; or to make existing theories more robust. Those are the theoretical scientist’s first principles. An engineer, however, does not need to know the intricacies of theoretical physics to design systems and products for societal use. Instead, the engineer’s first principles are the laws of physics that theoretical scientists develop.
The Effects of First Principles on Our Latticework
First principles thinking is a powerful mental model on its own, but it impacts other parts of our latticework as well. Our ability to navigate and use our latticework strengthens from understanding these interdependencies.
Probabilistic Thinking
Probabilistic thinking is a method for ascertaining the likelihood of a particular outcome happening. This mental model goes well with first principles thinking when trying to tackle a difficult problem. Probabilistic thinking layered on a foundation of first principles is a powerful combination.
Status Quo Bias
Status quo bias explains why we like things the way they are over change. Our current situation is known; change isn’t. But change can be better than the way things currently are. Much like the example about women’s intellect and ability, cutting through assumptions and examining first principles leads to meaningful change. First principles thinking gets us unstuck from the way things are.
The Map is not the Territory
We develop representations of reality every day in our quest for understanding and navigating the world around us. Those representations are maps and reality is the territory. By definition, maps are simpler than the territory. If they weren’t, maps wouldn’t have much use. But maps can be misleading, describing a landscape that isn’t actually there. First principles thinking is a remedy for faulty or outdated maps. By seeking actual basic truths, we glimpse the actual territory. From there, we can reconstruct representations of reality that are more accurate and useful.
Thought Experiments
Thought experiments are creative inquiries into the possible. Like the combination of first principles and probabilistic thinking, thought experiments can be layered on top of first principles to leverage their effectiveness. Musk did just that in the Hyperloop example. In fact, all three mental models (first principles, thought experiments, and probabilistic thinking) work together quite nicely in decision making and invention.
Conclusion
First principles are the building blocks of true knowledge. Without them, we’d struggle to know the difference between factual truths and bad assumptions, making it incredibly difficult to make good decisions.
In a complex world, first principles thinking is essential to breaking down complicated problems into smaller, manageable pieces. And once we have manageable pieces of reliable information, we can build off of them to create new ideas and inventions. Using first principles is one of the best ways to come up with original thoughts.
Throughout history, the use of first principles thinking has changed old ways of thinking and created new things. What else do we assume to be true today that might not be so?
First principles thinking is powerful. How might we harness that power to change our world? What stale status quos are ripe for challenging? This is how we think originally. This is how we embark on meaningful progress. This is how we become more effective people.
