Inversion
Carl Jacobi / Charlie Munger · 1985
"Solve problems backwards. Ask how to fail, then avoid it."
Jacobi's advice was 'invert, always invert.' Instead of asking how to succeed, ask how to guarantee failure — then don't do those things. It's often easier to identify what will kill you than what will save you.
Inversion works because avoiding stupidity has better odds than seeking brilliance. Human minds are wired to chase positive strategies; failure modes tend to be under-considered. By listing the ways a plan could obviously fail — dependencies, single points of failure, obvious traps — you route around them before starting.
You want to build a lasting friendship. Inversion suggests asking:
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The explanation above is written with AI assistance. These are the originals — go to them to check it.
- Inversion — 'Invert, always invert' (Jacobi / Munger)Charlie Munger / Farnam Street
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