How to use First Principle Thinking like Eren Yeager

Welcome

Hello again folks, today we will be breaking down how to use "First Principles".

We will first talk about how Eren Yeager uses first principles. Then we will go over a real-life example of first principles, Elon Musk.

Today's newsletter is jam-packed with info, so let's get right into it.

Todays Agenda

• First Principles (Anime): Breakdown of how Eren Yeager uses first principle thinking.

• First Principles (Real Life): A look in how Elon Musk uses first principles.

• First Principles (Real Life): A look in how MrBeast and Elon Musk use first principles.

• Wrap up: Next video release date and next newsletter topic.

First Principles (Part 1)

Before we talk about how Ayanokoji uses first principles, we need to actually know what it is.

So what is it????

First principle thinking is the first basis by which a thing is known.

To do this method, you have to boil things down into their fundamental truths and then reason up from there.

School teaches you how to "Reason From Analogy" rather than using first principles.

Reason from analogy means comparing a current problem or situation to a previous one that is similar in some way. This thinking approach assumes that if two situations are alike, the same strategies that worked in one situation will likely work in the other.

In school, you are rewarded for how well you can follow instructions. Essentially eliminating "original" thinking and encouraging us to follow and not question that which was already established.

If you want to make it to the top, thinking in first principles is vital to outsmarting your competition.

Let's look at how Eren Yeager uses this framework.

Eren's main motto is to keep moving forward.

Eren chooses not to believe what others say and find the truths out himself.

Even from a young age, Eren chose not to listen to his mother or father's warnings about being a scout. He wanted to find out what it was like firsthand.

Another example of this is when he hears about the ocean from Armin. After this moment, he doesn't want to hear about the outside and that he will never be free to see the ocean. He wants to use all his power to find out what freedom is truly like.

In conclusion, Eren only believes something once he personally has gone through it. This first principle thinking is what drove him past what people said was possible and almost to his freedom.

First Principles (Part 2)

Elon Musk is also a great example when it comes to first principles as he embodies what it means.

In 2010, the Obama Administration predicted that it would take $26,000,000,000 and 12 years to send a man back to space.

They believed "Space travel takes a very long time and is VERY expensive."

Elon and his team sent 2 astronauts to space in half the time, and the rocket came back for reuse. This operation only cost 1 billion dollars.

But how did he do it for 26 times cheaper and in less time?

First Principles.

Elon broke rocket science down to its fundamental truths. He realized most of the costs that came from space travel were from "middlemen" and expensive space parts.

When Elon broke down the parts needed to build a rocket, he saw that the raw materials were a lot cheaper than buying the whole finished part.

After noticing this, he decided that sourcing the materials himself would make it a lot cheaper.

First Principles (Part 3)

Some of you still might be confused on how first principles actually work.

Think of it like this.

Let's say your entire life you see only white swans when you're out for your walks. And you believe that there are only white swans in the world.

Then imagine one day you see just 1 black swan out of the thousand white swans you've seen.

Now your entire perception of swans has changed.

You now believe there are white and black swans.

Let's bring this back to Elon Musk's example with SpaceX. Before, everyone thought it was super expensive to send someone to space.

Over 200 space missions reinforced this idea.

But all it took was one to fully change how people think about space travel.

I hope you enjoyed my take on first principles thinking.

I decided to have this be the only focus of the newsletter since it was 3 parts.

My next video is going to be released on November 3. It is going to have slower pacing than my other videos but definitely the best information so far.

Keep Improving - Nameless Mind