How Often Do You Trust the Map Too Much?
A friend recommended I read Mental Models: The Best Way to Make Intelligent Decisions a few months ago. It sat on my "read later" backlog for a while, but once I started, I regretted not having started earlier. I quickly realized how relevant some of these concepts are to how we think and live today.
The first model I read, and the one that stood out right away, was The Map is Not The Territory. It's labeled as general thinking tool, and it's a simple but powerful reminder.
A map is a simplified representation of reality. It helps us understand complex systems or ideas — but it's not the thing itself.
That sounds obvious... until you realize how often we forget it.
We rely on "maps" all the time. Summaries, dashboards, Ai-generated answers, media headlines, even someone else's advice. But how often do we stop to ask:
- Is this map still valid today?
- Whose point of view shaped it?
- Does it even cover the terrain I care about?
Being critical of the map, not in a negative way, but in a thoughtful way, is essential. Especially now. Our lives are increasingly automated, and complexity is wrapped in clean UIs and confident-sounding systems.
That's where this model becomes more than a clever phrase. It's a daily reminder that just because something is well "packaged", does not mean it's accurate. That applies to people, systems, and especially AI.
Even Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, finds it surprising how much people trust the "maps" that AI models generate.
It reminds me of the "trust, but verify" principle in cybersecurity. You can trust the map, sure. But don't forget to lift your head and check if the terrain still matches.
Choose your cartographers wisely. Don't blindly trust simplified versions of reality. The map can guide you, but it should not replace your judgment.