This post is part of a series on What is Sloww?:
- Sloww Stage Support (Lifelong Learning & Deeper Development): How do I develop by learning?
- Sloww Stage 1 (Intentional Living): How do I design a lighter life?
- Sloww Stage 2 (Life Purpose): How do I find a higher purpose?
- Sloww Stage 3 (Mental Mastery): How do I build a better mind?
- Sloww Stage 4 (Spiritual Seeing): How do I see beyond mind?
Stage 3 Contents:

Sloww Stage 3 (Mental Mastery): How do I build a better mind?
Overview of Stage 3
Stage 3 Inquiring Question:
- “How do I build a better mind?” More knowing thyself psychologically (Stage 2) leads deeper into all things mind and mentality (Stage 3). Along with the meaning crisis, humans (individually) and humanity (collectively) also seem to be in the midst of a sensemaking crisis in the information era—our knowledge and wisdom isn’t keeping pace with our technological advancement.
Stage 3 Learning Focus:
- Sensemakers focusing on the ‘memetic crisis’ by building a robust mental immune system (study subjects include: biology, psychology, socialization, systems thinking, cognitive biases, mental models, memes, polarities, knowledge, philosophy, birth lottery, free will, etc.
Stage 3 Developing Self:
- Self-Questioning: Who am I? ‘I’ am not sure, but ‘I’ am sure that ‘I’ am not who ‘I’ thought ‘I’ was ‘my’ entire life up to this point. If ‘I’ did not choose/create ‘my’ mind, how can ‘I’ even call it ‘my’ mind? ‘I’ thought ‘I’ previously questioned everything, but ‘I’ never questioned ‘my’ questioning (‘my’ own mind)!

Stage 3 Posts (Full List)
Posts on the Brain, Cognitive Biases, & Mental Models
Best of the Best:
The Brain:
- “Livewired” by David Eagleman (Book Summary)
- Left Brain & Right Brain: 20 Brain Hemisphere Differences from “The Master and His Emissary” (+ Infographic)
- “Whole Brain Living” by Jill Bolte Taylor (Book Summary)
- “Conscious” by Annaka Harris (Book Summary)
Cognitive Biases:
- 25 Cognitive Biases to Master for Better Thinking (+ Infographic Cheatsheet)
- “This is Water” by David Foster Wallace
- “The Art of Thinking Clearly” by Rolf Dobelli (Book Summary)
- “The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe” by Steven Novella (Book Summary)
- “The Psychology of Human Misjudgment” by Charlie Munger (Speech Summary)
- “Poor Charlie’s Almanack” by Warren Buffett & Peter Kaufman (Book Summary)
- “Seeking Wisdom” by Peter Bevelin (Book Summary)
- “Lying” by Sam Harris (Book Summary)
Mental Models:
- 25 Mental Models to Master the Art of Thinking (+ Infographic Cheatsheet)
- “The Great Mental Models Volume 1” by Farnam Street (Book Summary)
- “Super Thinking” by Gabriel Weinberg & Lauren McCann (Book Summary)
Posts on Better Thinking & Systems Thinking
Better Thinking:
- 25 Philosophical Razors to shave off Bad Thinking
- 50+ Deep Quotes to Free Your Mind from Psychological Prison
- “The Inner Game of Tennis” by W. Timothy Gallwey (Book Summary)
- “The Extended Mind” by Annie Murphy Paul (Book Summary)
- “Clear Thinking” by Shane Parrish (Book Summary)
- “Metathinking” by Nick Shannon & Bruno Frischherz (Book Summary)
- “The Grand Redesign” by Sam McRoberts (Book Summary)
- The Consilience Project 101: An Introduction to the Catalyzing of a Cultural Renaissance
- 35+ Deep Daniel Schmachtenberger Quotes on Civilization Design, Game Theory, Sense-Making, Sovereignty, & More
- 8 Profound Podcasts Introducing the Meaning Crisis, Sensemaking, & Game B
- 7 Intellectual YouTube Lecture Series to Pursue Lifelong Learning Online for Free
- The Rise of Wise Podcasting: 10 Intellectual Podcasts to Think Deeply, Boost Knowledge, & Live Better
Systems Thinking:
- “Thinking in Systems” by Donella Meadows (Book Summary)
- The Five Whys (or 5 Whys): A Root Cause Analysis for Better Problem Solving
- “What’s Our Problem?” by Tim Urban (Book Summary)
- An Intro to Effective Altruism & How to Do the Most Good in Your Life
- 50+ Buckminster Fuller Quotes on Nature, Mind, God, & More
- “Call me Trim Tab”: Buckminster Fuller & The Impact of an Individual on Society
- The 56-Year Experiment: “Guinea Pig B” by Buckminster Fuller (Book Summary)
- “The Lessons of History” by Will & Ariel Durant (Book Summary)
- 50 Profound Quotes & 5 Deep Questions from “The Lessons of History”
- What is Spaceship Earth? & Why It’s Time Humanity Gets “On Board”
- What is the Earth Overview Effect that Inspires Astronauts?
- Slow Down & Set Perspective with Carl Sagan’s “Pale Blue Dot”
- Dr. Bronner’s Soap & Moral ABCs (Product Label Summary)
Posts on Philosophy, Stoicism, & Worldly Wisdom
Worldly Wisdom:
- The Blind Men and The Elephant: A Short Story about Perspective
- “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz (Book Summary)
- “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu (Book Summary of Michael Nylan Translation)
- “A Calendar of Wisdom” by Leo Tolstoy (Book Summary)
- “How to Live” by Derek Sivers (Book Summary)
- “Excellent Advice for Living” by Kevin Kelly (Book Summary)
Stoicism & More:
- “Meditations” by Marcus Aurelius (Book Summary)
- 40 Marcus Aurelius Quotes, 7 Deep Questions, & More from “Meditations”
- “On the Shortness of Life” by Seneca (Essay Summary)
- “Enchiridion” by Epictetus (Book Summary)
- “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen (Book Summary)
- “Stillness is the Key” by Ryan Holiday (Book Summary)
- “The Existentialist’s Survival Guide” (Book Summary)
Analytic Idealism:
Posts on Luck, Moral Responsibility, Agency Attribution, & Free Will
Luck:
- “Hard Luck” by Neil Levy (Book Summary)
- “Moral Luck” by Thomas Nagel (Essay Summary)
- The Life of Luckia: A Thought Experiment on the Birth Lottery, Moral Responsibility, & Free Will
Moral Responsibility & Agency Attribution:
- The Ovarian Lottery: A Thought Experiment from Warren Buffett
- What is the “Original Position” or “Veil of Ignorance” Thought Experiment? (John Rawls Excerpts)
- The College Graduate & The Garbage Collector: A Thought Experiment from Robert Sapolsky (Short Excerpt)
- Death, Freedom, Self: “Things That Bother Me” by Galen Strawson (Book Summary)
- The Basic Argument against Ultimate Moral Responsibility (Galen Strawson Summary)
- Condemned to Choose: Cake vs Oxfam Thought Experiment (Galen Strawson Excerpts)
- “Creating Freedom” by Raoul Martinez (Book Summary)
Free Will:
- The Ultimate Free Will Guide for Open Minds & Sincere Seekers
- 10 Deep Quotes on Free Will from Yuval Noah Harari
- 10+ Einstein Quotes on Free Will
- 10+ Nietzsche Quotes on Free Will, False Causality, & More
- 25 Ways to Melt Away the Feeling of Free Will
- 25 Bernardo Kastrup Quotes on Free Will
- 25+ Spinoza Quotes on Free Will
- 50+ Free Will Questions to Examine the Nature of Your Reality
- 50+ Galen Strawson Quotes on Luck, Free Will, Moral Responsibility, & More
- “On the Freedom of the Will” by Arthur Schopenhauer (Essay Summary)
- “Free Will” by Sam Harris (Book Summary)
- Does Free Will Exist? The Latest Thinking from Sam Harris
- Desires & Decisions: Free Will Thought Experiments (Sam Harris Excerpts)
- “Determined” by Robert Sapolsky (Book Summary)
- No Free Will: The Biology of Behavior with Robert Sapolsky
- The Homunculus Fallacy & Mitigated Free Will (Robert Sapolsky Short Excerpt)
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