Welcome to the blog post #82! Click here to read more from previous posts.
Recently, I was in discussions with people holding opposite viewpoints. It made me wonder: why do people disagree even when they have access to the same information?
Look around, and we can see disagreements everywhere - from politics and religion to economics and social issues. At a deeper level, these differing viewpoints often stem from the diverse experiences people have had throughout their lives. For instance, someone who has lived through the devastation of war is likely to value simple things like food, water, shelter, and life itself much more than someone who hasn’t experienced such hardships.
This led me to ask myself: What perspectives am I missing? How are others thinking differently from me? Does it come from experiences I haven’t had? And if I had the same experiences, would I see the world as they do?
The truth is, the more varied your experiences, the more diverse your thinking becomes. You start connecting information from different areas in ways that can lead to new insights. This is illustrated by the parable “The Elephant and The Six Blind Men,” where each man’s limited perspective misses the full picture.
Charlie Munger once said: "To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
This “man-with-a-hammer tendency” highlights a cognitive bias where people tend to apply their specific tools, skills, or perspectives to every problem they encounter.
We might have fallen into this trap, especially when we’ve developed deep expertise in one area and overlooked perspectives from other fields. But by broadening our knowledge, we can avoid this pitfall.
Take the Tulip Mania of the 17th century as an example. Economically, it’s a textbook case of supply and demand imbalance. Psychologically, it’s about the fear of missing out (FOMO) driving irrational behavior. Sociologically, the desire for status and recognition through owning rare tulips was a powerful motivator, as tulips became symbols of wealth and prestige.
By connecting these factors, we gain a deeper understanding of why the bubble happened and why the term “tulip mania” has become synonymous with irrational markets.
This example underscores the importance of multidisciplinary thinking in how we approach both work and life.
Applying Multidisciplinary Thinking in Everyday Life
Let’s explore more examples to see how multidisciplinary thinking can offer valuable lessons.
In pharmacology, there’s a principle known as Schulz' law, which states: “For every substance, small doses stimulate, moderate doses inhibit, large doses kill.” This principle isn’t limited to medicine - it applies to many areas of life. In everything we do, finding the right balance is crucial. From pharmacology, we learn: Balance is key.
In evolutionary biology, Dollo's law of irreversibility tells us that once an organism evolves into a new state, it cannot return to its former state because the path back is too complex. This principle is also relevant in areas like branding, relationships, and reputation. Once lost, these are nearly impossible to regain. From biology, we learn: Don’t risk what you can’t afford to lose.
In chemistry, there’s the concept of Autocatalysis - a reaction that creates the energy and materials needed to start the same reaction again, allowing it to continue on its own. This is similar to how success works in business and careers: Once you reach a certain level, it often self-perpetuates, attracting more resources and opportunities. From chemistry, we learn: Success breeds success.
In economics, the Pareto principle observes that 80% of the land in 19th-century Italy was owned by just 20% of the population. This principle, known as the 80/20 rule, applies to many aspects of life, showing that a few key factors often drive the majority of outcomes. From economics, we learn: Focus on a few big things, not many small ones.
Human evolution took approximately 6 million years to transform from our earliest apelike ancestors to modern Homo sapiens. But civilization, as we know it, only began about 10,000 years ago with the advent of agriculture. From biology, we learn: Long periods of little change can be followed by short bursts of rapid evolution.
The Industrial Revolution, which started about 300 years ago, marked a significant leap in human life, transforming economies from agrarian to industrial and manufacturing-based. And just over 30 years ago, the Information Age began, revolutionizing nearly every aspect of our daily lives with the development of computers, the internet, and digital technologies. Biology’s lessons on evolution apply equally well to societal changes, as we’re witnessing today.
How Can We Develop Multidisciplinary Thinking?
Charlie Munger is perhaps the best example to learn from. So, how did he do it?
Read and Learn Widely and Diversely
The secret is simple: Charlie Munger constantly expanded his knowledge across many fields, from economics to science, psychology, and history. He and Warren Buffet are known for their voracious reading habits.
He once shared:
You'd be amazed at how much Warren reads - at how much I read. My children laugh at me. They think I'm a book with a couple of legs sticking out.
Reading is the first step and the simplest way to acquire broad knowledge. But since we all have limited time, focusing on “the big ideas” from different disciplines is key.
Start with the basics and understand the foundational concepts. The idea that you only need to learn one field and can ignore others is outdated. Everything in the world is interconnected.
Consider Newton’s Third Law of Motion, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. We apply this law in our daily lives, often without realizing it. When we do good things for others, we receive their gratitude and experience joy ourselves.
Expanding into different areas of learning is crucial. While specialization was highly valued during the Industrial Revolution, the rapid technological advancements of the 21st century mean that being skilled in just one area may not be enough. With machines and AI potentially replacing many top jobs, becoming a deep generalist - someone with a broad base of knowledge in multiple areas - is increasingly important.
Nowadays, there are many ways to learn about various disciplines beyond reading books. Digital learning platforms like Coursera, Masterclass, and LinkedIn offer vast resources. I’ve also found a wealth of helpful information on YouTube and various writer blogs.
Apply Mental Models
A mental model is a simplified and organized way of thinking that provides a framework for interpreting information, making decisions, and solving problems.
Charlie Munger is known for learning and applying mental models to simplify complex concepts across disciplines.
Here are a few examples:
From physics: The First Principles Thinking - break down complex problems into their basic elements and build up from there.
From mathematics: Inversion - consider the opposite of what you want to achieve to avoid errors.
From economics: Opportunity Cost - always consider the next best alternative when making decisions.
You can find more mental models in my previous articles here and here.
Connect The Dots
As you learn about different disciplines, actively seek connections between them. Ask yourself: How does a concept in one area apply to another?
For example, in the Tulip Mania, we see interconnections of economic, psychological, and sociological factors. Understanding these connections gives us a more complete picture.
Look for common patterns and analogies by learning from history. As Mark Twain once said, “History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.”
Multidisciplinary thinking isn’t just about acquiring knowledge from various fields; it’s about connecting those insights to gain a deeper, more holistic understanding of the world. As you begin to see the connections between seemingly unrelated ideas, you’ll find yourself better equipped to solve complex problems, make informed decisions, and innovate in ways you never thought possible.
To wrap up, I’d like to borrow a quote from Steve Jobs:
Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it; they just saw it. It was obvious to them because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things.
It’s all for today. Till next week!
Cheers,
Do Thi Dieu Thuong