Sloww Stage 3 (Mental Mastery): How do I build a better mind?

This post is part of a series on What is Sloww?:

• Sloww Stage Support (Lifelong Learning & Deeper Development): How do I develop by learning?
• Sloww Stage 1 (Intentional Living): How do I design a lighter life?
• Sloww Stage 2 (Life Purpose): How do I find a higher purpose?
• Sloww Stage 3 (Mental Mastery): How do I build a better mind?
• Sloww Stage 4 (Spiritual Seeing): How do I see beyond mind?

Sloww Stage 3 (Mental Mastery): How do I build a better mind?

Overview of Stage 3

Stage 3 Inquiring Question:

• “How do I build a better mind?” More knowing thyself psychologically (Stage 2) leads deeper into all things mind and mentality (Stage 3). Along with the meaning crisis, humans (individually) and humanity (collectively) also seem to be in the midst of a sensemaking crisis in the information era—our knowledge and wisdom isn’t keeping pace with our technological advancement.

Stage 3 Learning Focus:

• Sensemakers focusing on the ‘memetic crisis’ by building a robust mental immune system (study subjects include: biology, psychology, socialization, systems thinking, cognitive biases, mental models, memes, polarities, knowledge, philosophy, birth lottery, free will, etc.

Stage 3 Developing Self:

• Self-Questioning: Who am I? ‘I’ am not sure, but ‘I’ am sure that ‘I’ am not who ‘I’ thought ‘I’ was ‘my’ entire life up to this point. If ‘I’ did not choose/create ‘my’ mind, how can ‘I’ even call it ‘my’ mind? ‘I’ thought ‘I’ previously questioned everything, but ‘I’ never questioned ‘my’ questioning (‘my’ own mind)!

Stage 3 Posts (Full List)

You can see my own personal progression in stage 3 by skimming a summary of posts 201-300.

Note: Links with a lock icon (🔒) go to a Premium post.

Posts on the Brain, Cognitive Biases, & Mental Models

Best of the Best:

• Introducing “Mini Mind”: 365 Daily Emails of Bite-Size Brain Food
• 🔒 The Mental Mastery Cheatsheet: 500+ Cognitive Concepts Curated (Biases, Fallacies, Effects, Illusions, Heuristics, Mental Models, & More)
• 🔒 Stream of Consciousness: What is Going On?
• 🔒 Stream of Consciousness: Is this the Strangest Thing in Life?

The Brain:

• “Livewired” by David Eagleman (Book Summary)
• Left Brain & Right Brain: 20 Brain Hemisphere Differences from “The Master and His Emissary” (+ Infographic)
• “Whole Brain Living” by Jill Bolte Taylor (Book Summary)
• “Conscious” by Annaka Harris (Book Summary)

Cognitive Biases:

• 25 Cognitive Biases to Master for Better Thinking (+ Infographic Cheatsheet)
• “This is Water” by David Foster Wallace + 🔒 Premium Summary
• “The Art of Thinking Clearly” by Rolf Dobelli (Book Summary) + 🔒 Premium Summary
• “The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe” by Steven Novella (Book Summary) + 🔒 Premium Summary
• “The Psychology of Human Misjudgment” by Charlie Munger (Speech Summary)
• “Poor Charlie’s Almanack” by Warren Buffett & Peter Kaufman (Book Summary)
• “Seeking Wisdom” by Peter Bevelin (Book Summary)
• “Lying” by Sam Harris (Book Summary)

Mental Models:

• 25 Mental Models to Master the Art of Thinking (+ Infographic Cheatsheet)
• “The Great Mental Models Volume 1” by Farnam Street (Book Summary)
• “Super Thinking” by Gabriel Weinberg & Lauren McCann (Book Summary) + 🔒 Premium Summary

Posts on Better Thinking & Systems Thinking

Better Thinking:

• 25 Philosophical Razors to shave off Bad Thinking
• 50+ Deep Quotes to Free Your Mind from Psychological Prison
• “The Inner Game of Tennis” by W. Timothy Gallwey (Book Summary) + 🔒 Premium Summary
• “The Extended Mind” by Annie Murphy Paul (Book Summary)
• “Clear Thinking” by Shane Parrish (Book Summary)
• “Metathinking” by Nick Shannon & Bruno Frischherz (Book Summary)
• “The Grand Redesign” by Sam McRoberts (Book Summary)
• 🔒 Stream of Consciousness: Is Free Thinking Even Possible?
• The Consilience Project 101: An Introduction to the Catalyzing of a Cultural Renaissance + 🔒 Premium Synthesis
• 35+ Deep Daniel Schmachtenberger Quotes on Civilization Design, Game Theory, Sense-Making, Sovereignty, & More + 🔒 Premium Synthesis
• 8 Profound Podcasts Introducing the Meaning Crisis, Sensemaking, & Game B
• 7 Intellectual YouTube Lecture Series to Pursue Lifelong Learning Online for Free
• The Rise of Wise Podcasting: 10 Intellectual Podcasts to Think Deeply, Boost Knowledge, & Live Better

Systems Thinking:

• “Thinking in Systems” by Donella Meadows (Book Summary) + 🔒 Premium Summary
• The Five Whys (or 5 Whys): A Root Cause Analysis for Better Problem Solving
• “What’s Our Problem?” by Tim Urban (Book Summary)
• An Intro to Effective Altruism & How to Do the Most Good in Your Life
• “Call me Trim Tab”: Buckminster Fuller & The Impact of an Individual on Society
• “The Lessons of History” by Will & Ariel Durant (Book Summary) + 🔒 Premium Summary
• 50 Profound Quotes & 5 Deep Questions from “The Lessons of History”
• What is Spaceship Earth? & Why It’s Time Humanity Gets “On Board”
• What is the Earth Overview Effect that Inspires Astronauts?
• Slow Down & Set Perspective with Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot”
• Dr. Bronner’s Soap & Moral ABCs (Product Label Summary)

Posts on Philosophy, Stoicism, & Worldly Wisdom

Worldly Wisdom:

• The Blind Men and The Elephant: A Short Story about Perspective
• “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz (Book Summary) + 🔒 Premium Summary
• “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu (Book Summary of Michael Nylan Translation)
• “A Calendar of Wisdom” by Leo Tolstoy (Book Summary) + 🔒 Premium Summary
• “How to Live” by Derek Sivers (Book Summary) + 🔒 Premium Summary
• “Excellent Advice for Living” by Kevin Kelly (Book Summary)

Stoicism & More:

• “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius (Book Summary)
• 40 Marcus Aurelius Quotes, 7 Deep Questions, & More from “Meditations”
• “On the Shortness of Life” by Seneca (Essay Summary)
• “Enchiridion” by Epictetus (Book Summary)
• “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen (Book Summary)
• “Stillness is the Key” by Ryan Holiday (Book Summary)
• “The Existentialist’s Survival Guide” (Book Summary)

Posts on Moral Responsibility, Agency Attribution, & Free Will

Moral Responsibility & Agency Attribution:

• The Ovarian Lottery: A Thought Experiment from Warren Buffett
• What is the “Original Position” or “Veil of Ignorance” Thought Experiment? (John Rawls Excerpts)
• The College Graduate & The Garbage Collector: A Thought Experiment from Robert Sapolsky (Short Excerpt)
• The Life of Luckia: A Thought Experiment on the Birth Lottery, Moral Responsibility, & Free Will
• The Basic Argument against Ultimate Moral Responsibility (Galen Strawson Summary)
• “Creating Freedom” by Raoul Martinez (Book Summary)
• 🔒 Stream of Consciousness: Is Ultimate Moral Responsibility a Myth?
• 🔒 Stream of Consciousness: What’s our Problem with (Mis)Attribution of Agency?

Free Will:

• The Ultimate Free Will Guide for Open Minds & Sincere Seekers
• 10 Deep Quotes on Free Will from Yuval Noah Harari
• 25 Ways to Melt Away the Feeling of Free Will
• 25 Deep Quotes on Free Will from Bernardo Kastrup
• 50+ Free Will Questions to Examine the Nature of Your Reality
• “Free Will” by Sam Harris (Book Summary)
• Does Free Will Exist? The Latest Thinking from Sam Harris
• “Determined” by Robert Sapolsky (Book Summary)
• No Free Will: The Biology of Behavior with Robert Sapolsky
• The Homunculus Fallacy & Mitigated Free Will (Robert Sapolsky Short Excerpt)
• 🔒 Sam Harris Synthesis: How to Unravel Free Will (+ Infographic)
• 🔒 Robert Sapolsky Synthesis: The Science of No Free Will (+ Infographic)
• 🔒 Bernardo Kastrup Synthesis: Everything about Free Will (+ Infographic)

My Personal Experience:

• 🔒 Stream of Consciousness: Is this the Holy Shit Moment?
• 🔒 Behind the Scenes: How I Live with the Lottery of Birth & Lack of Free Will
• 🔒 Behind the Scenes: How I Live with the Lottery of Birth & Lack of Free Will (1 Year Later)

You May Also Enjoy:

• What is Sloww?

• Sloww Stage Support (Lifelong Learning & Deeper Development): How do I develop by learning?

• Sloww Stage 1 (Intentional Living): How do I design a lighter life?

• Sloww Stage 2 (Life Purpose): How do I find a higher purpose?

• Sloww Stage 4 (Spiritual Seeing): How do I see beyond mind?