I made a story on Instagram asking people what First Principle thinking is.
I haven’t received a good answer yet, so this shows me that there is a lack of understanding of the concept.
So here’s my take on the subject:
In the context of problem-solving, First Principles thinking is an approach that involves breaking down complex issues into their most FUNDAMENTAL elements and using these basic truths as the foundation for building solutions and understanding.
It’s the process of uncovering truths first and then building off of that.
Thinking in First Principles is when you build concepts based on reality… NOT when you try to build reality off of your concepts.
OK. That’s all cool…
But why is it important to think that way ?! Isn’t this just playing with words?
I don’t think it is.
When you think in terms of First Principles, it takes fewer steps and less energy to get to a working conclusion.
This means that:
- You become more efficient and effective in getting things done.
- You get better at what you do.
- You don’t burn yourself up and can have energy left.
Don’t get me wrong, the process of LEARNING how to think in terms of First Principles IS energy-demanding at first.
But once you know how to do it and it becomes more intuitive, you save yourself time, energy… and frustration!
This is why I strongly push my students to SIMPLIFY things to their fundamental basics. So much so that the outcomes almost seem stupid and over-simplified.
Many practitioners/therapists or students with whom I am working have a “transitional” discomfort when they realize that what they had been doing was far more complicated than what they really had to do.
But when they do the switch and the process becomes a bit more natural, they realize that many things become simpler, their thought process is more streamlined, and they become a lot more effective at solving problems.