Explore Farnam Street Articles
Our goal is to help you master the best of what other people have already figured out.
Accelerated Learning
Learn faster and remember more.
Mental Models
The best way to make intelligent decisions (~100 models explained).
Decision Making
How to make smart decisions without getting lucky.
Reading Better
Improve reading comprehension and recall, and effective note-taking.
Intellectual Giants
Check out this list of intellectual giants who profoundly impacted the world with their ideas, thinking, and leadership.
Self Improvement
Train your brain to retain knowledge and insight better by understanding how you learn.
Recent articles on Farnam Street:
Ride the Wave
Imagine a surfer poised perfectly on the crest of a massive wave, making the impossible look effortless. The surfer can’t control the water—only ride it. This image illustrates one of the most …
Experts vs. Imitators
If you want the highest quality information, you have to speak to the best people. The problem is many people claim to be experts, who really aren’t. Safeguard: Take time to distinguish real …
Simple Truths: Clear & Gentle Guidance on the Big Issues in Life
My Kindle Highlights from Kent Nerburn’s Simple Truths: Clear & Gentle Guidance on the Big Issues in Life *** “Education is one of the great joys and solaces of life. It gives us a framework …
[FS Members] Lessons from Rockefeller: The Upside of Patience
Long-term thinking is one of the most valuable traits of successful individuals. It demands that you forego the rewards of the immediate future and position yourself for lasting success. Members Only …
The Winner’s Edge
It is essential to take risks. Examine the life of any lucky man or woman, and you are all but certain to find that he or she was willing, at some point, to take a risk. Without that willingness, …
The Surprising Reason Writing Remains Essential in an AI-Driven World
Why write an essay when you can type a few words and have AI generate one for you? Why write an email when AI can auto-respond for you with all the typical pleasantries and talking points? While AI …
Lessons on Leadership: Michael Abrashoff’s Turnaround Playbook
Michael Abrashoff was in his mid-thirties when he took command of the USS Benfold, a guided missile destroyer and one of the worst-performing ships in the Navy. Despite her potency, the …
Let Go of the Learning Baggage
We all want to learn better. That means retaining information, processing it, being able to use it when needed. More knowledge means better instincts; better insights into opportunities for both you …
Language: Why We Hear More Than Words
It’s a classic complaint in relationships, especially romantic ones: “She said she was okay with me forgetting her birthday! Then why is she throwing dishes in the kitchen? Are the two things …
Learning Through Play
Play is an essential way of learning about the world. Doing things we enjoy without a goal in mind leads us to find new information, better understand our capabilities, and find unexpected beauty …
Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Thinking
Chesterton’s Fence is a principle that reminds us to look before we leap. To understand before we act. It’s a cautionary reminder to understand why something is the way it is before …
The Ultimate Productivity Hack is Focus
Focus is about saying no. Anyone can say no to bad ideas, but only a focused person will say no to good ideas. Focus is something that people consistently bring up as a key to success. When Warren …
Tit For Tat
Tit for tat is a strategy which, according to game theory, is the most effective choice for iterated games based on mutual cooperation or defection. Both players benefit if they cooperate, but one …
Reciprocity: Getting What You Give
This article is an excerpt from the bestselling book The Great Mental Models Volume 2: Physics, Chemistry and Biology Reciprocity teaches us why win-win relationships are the way to go, why waiters …
A Wandering Mind: How Travel Can Change the Way You Think
Most people travel as an observer, and as a result, “see” a lot. When you travel as an active participant, the experience can transform the way you think, and how you see the world. *** Here’s a …
Evaluating Information: Find the Signal in the Noise
We are drowning in information. Most of that information is irrelevant. If only we could sort what matters from what doesn’t. The good news is that you can train your brain to evaluate the …