One more thought about mental models.

[randomness]

Sometimes, the most important model to get right is the one you have of yourself.

Comments

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

...only one never can, because the map is not the territory, and the territory of a person is so freakin' *complicated*.

working models are great, but "working" != "right". i think this is important to remember when the model's workings turn out (imho and ime inevitably) wrong.

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Sure, sure, that's not something I'm confusing.

"Never mistake the model for reality." was something I posted recently, on just the subject of models workings turning out very wrong: "Of course, all models are wrong. The only model that is not wrong is reality and reality is not, by definition, a model."

In this case I use "right" to mean "working" or "functional", and I used "right" mainly because it scans better than "operable".

I think my original point is that if your model of yourself is dysfunctional, it can cause more trouble than models one has of other systems. Unfortunately, that sentence doesn't sound very snappy to me, either.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

know thyself, but remember you'll always be a stranger :)

[r-ness.livejournal.com]

Stranger and stranger with each passing year, I suspect. :)

[lillibet.livejournal.com]

if your model of yourself is dysfunctional, it can cause more trouble than models one has of other systems

Well, trouble for yourself, certainly. Depending on who you are, having a flawed model of, say, the financial system, could cause more trouble.

But I would certainly agree that one's model of oneself is important and a good testbed for one's modelling skills.

[cerebralpaladin.livejournal.com]

I strongly suspect that many of the people who did great damage with a flawed model of the financial system started with a flawed model of themselves. :)