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Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful

Resurfaced independently across 4 calendar years, with breakout response in 2 of them.

submissions
11
submitters
11
observed span
2016–2022
peak thread · 189 comments
929 pts
latest 20+ return · 2018-12-25
315 pts

Submission timeline

2007–2026

One slot for every year since HN launched. Height is that year's peak points; orange marks a 100+ point or 50+ comment breakout. Select a bar to open its strongest thread.

First comments on top threads

HN comment order

Interestingly, I find my favourite nitpick: Ockam's razor. The article quotes it as "The simplest solution is usually the correct one". This is a common misinterpretation of it and it's interesting that the quote links to the wikipedia page that has a better statement: "Among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected." The key problem is equating simplicity with correctness. This is usually disastrous. Once you feel that something is "correct" you stop looking for ways…

Two similar lists: Kent Beck's: https://www.facebook.com/notes/kent-beck/a-searching-and-fea... Another one: https://www.defmacro.org/2016/12/22/models.html

jonahx·315-point thread·

This is probably the single most useful post that I have ever seen.

sjellis·20-point thread·

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12040707

The first top-level comment from each of the four biggest threads, in HN’s own order. Excerpts are shortened; open a comment for full context.

Breakout years
2

100+ points or 50+ comments

Total points
1297

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Total comments
226

reference only — not used in Hall rules or ranking

Every submission

DateTitle as submittedByPointsComments
2016-07-06Mental Models I Find Repeatedly UsefulFirst breakout · Best threadorph929189
2016-08-05Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Usefulfitzwatermellow141
2016-11-01Mental models I find repeatedly usefulnoescape40
2016-12-05Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful – Mediumcolinprince30
2017-01-12Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Usefulacdanger10
2017-02-22Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Usefulmithunmanohar20
2017-02-27Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Usefulrishabhd20
2018-01-24Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Usefulshahocean201
2018-07-28Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Usefulrmason41
2018-12-25Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Useful (2016)Hall induction · Latest 20+ point returnfebin31534
2022-04-17Mental Models I Find Repeatedly Usefultakiwatanga30