Whenever we can’t seem to figure out how something works, or we want to be really good at something like say baking, writing, painting, or whatnot, we would read some basic principles on the subject matter so as to give us some rudimentary understanding on the how the concept works. For instance, if we wanna be good at baking, we will have to study the function and interaction of the primary ingredients like flour, liquid, sugar and fat to each other. Then we’d also have to figure out the effects of temperature, cooking time and other non-ingredient stuff.
This mental model is termed as the First Principle Thinking. Concisely, it’s basically a method of actively questioning something we think we know already until we get to the very core principle that governs the subject matter. By continually asking if there could still be a deeper underlying concept about that which we are probing, we could uncover the fundamental essence of it. Such complete understanding of a subjects’ nature gives us the freedom to form new knowledge and even solutions to existing problems. (in the case of baking, knowing the First Principles would enable us to create recipes according to the result that we want)
The use of this mental model has not only solved many problems by dismissing traditional solutions and providing more effective means of solving them, but in the creation of new tools, it has allowed for new industries to emerge as well.
By applying this mental model to our lives, we’d be able focus our limited time, energy and attention to what truly matters and make our lives more fulfilling,
So how do we ‘first principle’ our lives?
Mindfulness is the Gate
If the basic premise of the first principle is being able to grasp the core concept of something, then for ourselves, it seems that focusing our attention on all aspects of our being would be a good starting point. Mindfulness puts us in the standpoint of observing our thoughts, words, actions and more importantly, our innermost desires. It grants us the access to view our experiences as it is without passing judgement and associating emotion. Such consciousness of our complex traits and idiosyncrasies provide us the clarity we need to delve deeper until we reach our present core self.
However, note that this process would be long and maybe painful as well. This practice would require us to question the culture-scape that has shaped our belief systems including the limiting beliefs we were born into.
After spending time diving deeper and deeper to understand the First Principles that govern ourselves, we would have gained the valuable insight of what our life could be by realizing our potentials. Only by then could we make informed choices that are aligned with the values that resonates with us.
