Utilizing First Principles Thinking

It is in our human nature to ask "Why?", and we all started asking this question at an early age. Fundamentally speaking, we learn by asking "Why?", and many of us asked "Why?" so much in our early years that we were inevitably met with the answer "because I said so" from a annoyed parent, an irritated teacher, or possibly even an agitated coach.

First-principles thinking harkens back to Aristotle and can be described as the process of breaking complicated problems into basic elements. First-principles thinking, also referred to as first-principles reasoning, is at the root of why we ask "Why?" Some of us (maybe even most of us) are very accepting of the rules that govern our daily lives, whether they be laws of nature or commonly held beliefs. First-principles reasoning cuts through dogma and removes the blinders. We can see the world as it is and see what is possible. When it comes down to it, everything that is not a law of nature is just a shared belief. Money and borders are great examples of shared beliefs.

First-principles thinking is what makes us skeptical, especially when what we're told doesn't align with what we believe. It's important to ask "Why?" in this situation, and it's important to apply first-principles reasoning when we decide to do our own research. I've linked a very informative and insightful blog post on this topic below.

FIRST PRINCIPLES: THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF TRUE KNOWLEDGE — (Farnam Street)

Understanding first-principles thinking is key to unlocking our potential for performing our own research. By establishing a firm foundation on which to support additional knowledge, or utilizing that which we've already established, we can have the confidence to evaluate problems for ourselves and to come to our own conclusions on issues that invoke our innate skepticisms. We should never stop asking "Why?"

“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” — Carl Sagan

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and attended to with diligence.” — Abigail Adams

“I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.” — Richard Feynman

“I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.“ — Abraham Lincoln

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." — John F. Kennedy