Discover how to use critical thinking to tear complex issues down to their simple basics and have productive conversations with friends and family about any topic under the sun.
This week, Stefan and Scott wade back into current events to talk about the war between Russia and Ukraine. But, unlike seemingly everyone on social media, we aren't here to tell you what to think. Instead, we give you some tools to analyze the deluge of information and reach your own, honest conclusion.
Is Putin a madman hellbent on nuking the world, or is Ukraine's friendliness towards the west threatened Russia's security? After listening to this episode, you won't need Twidiots to tell you what to think. You'll learn to use models such as probabilistic thinking, circle of competence, and reversibility, to decide for yourself.
As always, we're building a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
* “When goods do not cross borders, soldiers will.” ― Frederic Bastiat
Mental Models
* Pick your trusted sources
* Probabilistic thinking
* Heuristics
* Long-Tail Risks
* Past performance is not a predictor of future performance
* Don’t let a good crisis go to waste
* Incentives matter
* Circle of competence
* Accountability
* Reversibility
* Second-order consequences
* Compound decisions
* Decision nexus
* Short-term vs long-term thinking
* Competency crisis
Top Takeaways
* We need to learn how to navigate through an information war.
* Heuristics are useful shortcuts or rules of thumb to help us make decisions. To use them effectively, you must understand when your heuristics are wrong.
* We don’t need to consider every last bit of information. Our models must, however, incorporate the information most critical to reaching a strong conclusion.
Comments or Questions on this episode? Join the conversation at the Mentally Unscripted Substack.Engage with Stefan and Scott on the Twitter thought control machine. Scott is also on Instagram and rants and raves on his blog, Strength and Reason.Feel free to email him with questions, comments, or suggestions.We're also on Odysee. Rumble is coming as soon as Scott gets off his butt and uploads the podcasts.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mentallyunscripted.com
Ep56 – First Forays into Crypto and Did We Just Discover Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto? with Mental Supermodels
Saturday, February 19, 2022 • Duration 01:06:38
Note: We discuss investing, finance, and money in this episode. It’s simply four guys talking and no one should construe anything in this episode as investment, financial, money, legal, or any other kind of advice. By the way, Myron is not Satoshi . . . or is he?
This week, Stefan and Scott welcome back Myron and Jeremy of Mental Supermodels. This time we hash out our beginner experiences with cryptocurrencies. We cover how our thinking has evolved from our first forays into the world of digital currencies to where we stand today. This episode touches on investment philosophies, hits and misses in crypto, and mental models we use when dipping a toe in this dynamic and often times confusing world.
As always, we're building a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Ep55 – Why IP Laws Destroy Innovation and How Creatives Can Profit Without Them with Stephan Kinsella
Thursday, February 10, 2022 • Duration 01:01:52
This week, Stefan and Scott welcome Stephan Kinsella to Mentally Unscripted.
Stephan is a brilliant, articulate libertarian legal scholar who explains why the mainstream notion that intellectual property spurs innovation is wrong. He dives in by telling us why IP laws are simply government-issued monopolies that actually impede innovation. He explains why removing IP laws would make us more prosperous. And closes by discussing other innovative ways creators can profit without protectionist laws.
As always, we're building a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
* Intellectual Property (IP) is a body of law whose stated purpose is to protect a specific type of private property, such as inventions and creative works but is really a grant of monopoly power by the state.
* Instead of spurring innovation and creativity, the monopolistic nature of IP laws stifles new creative output.
* IP laws could be repealed today, and entrepreneurs would fill the void with new, innovative ways to earn money from their creations.
Engage with and on the Twitter thought control machine.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Ep54 – Mental Supermodels on Bitcoin Maximalism, Neil Young v. Joe Rogan, and Is That a New Mental Model?
Thursday, February 3, 2022 • Duration 01:03:49
Stefan is back this week, so you’re spared another week of Scott’s implacable droning.
In Episode 47, Stefan and Scott recorded a short segment on Bitcoin Maximalism. Their friends Myron and Jeremy of Mental Supermodels recently released an episode that built on those initial insights.
Today, Stefan and Scott returned the favor by adding their thoughts to Myron and Jeremy's. They define Bitcoin Maximalism then discuss its advantages and disadvantages and whether it's the best philosophy for realizing Bitcoin's promise of self-sovereignty.
As always, we're building a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
* A 3-level framework for slotting maximalists into your information architecture is based on openness to new ideas
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Ep53 – Garbage Truth, Stare Decisis, and Constitutional Interpretation! Supreme Court Confirmation Hearings are Coming!
Friday, January 28, 2022 • Duration 43:11
Stefan is still sidelined, so I’m again going solo to talk about judicial review. Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement, and we’re already starting to hear about possible replacements. So, get ready to listen to pundits talking about stare decisis and judicial activism.
In this episode, I will explain some of the significant theories of judicial review and explain why it doesn’t matter.
As always, we're building a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
* Will we ever be able to cut through the noise and agree on the COVID situation? We likely won’t ever reach a level where we have separated the bare facts about COVID from the fiction, let alone agree on what those facts mean when viewed through our individual moral lens. And that’s okay as long as we arrive at our own personal truth honestly.
* OSHA withdrew its vaccine mandate, which is good news, but it’s not necessarily the last time we’ll hear about it.
* The U.S. Supreme Court isn’t a collection of unbiased legal scholars coldly reviewing constitutional questions when it comes down to it. The justices are as free to bend to their morals as any of us. Theories of Constitutional interpretation aren’t hard and fast rules the justices must apply but are often a mechanism for justifying decisions after the fact.
Engage with Stefan and on the Twitter thought control machine.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Ep52 – Vaccine Mandates and Hiding Elephants in Mouseholes at the Supreme Court
Monday, January 24, 2022 • Duration 01:00:33
Stefan found himself on the DL for this episode, so I went solo and tackled the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in the OSHA vaccine mandate case and why it's not necessarily the primary victory, some claim.
I start the podcast by explaining administrative law and why an executive agency like OSHA can make laws despite the Constitution not granting law-making authority to the executive branch. I also briefly recap on how we got to this point in the vaccine mandate case and what's to come.
With the background material out the way, I give my thoughts on the well-publicized factual errors by some Justices and what they mean to the case.
I then dive a little deeper and explain that the issue in the OSHA case wasn't whether a government agency could mandate a vaccine for an estimated 85 million people. It was which level of government can do so, leaving out any contemplation that the individual is best positioned to make their healthcare choices.
Finally, I wade back into the discussion I started a few episodes ago about the rule of law and why the law is subjective.
This was my first solo-podcast episode. While it certainly has its warts, I enjoyed doing it and hope to bring a different perspective to the Supreme Court's ruling on the OSHA vaccine mandate.
As always, we're building a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
* Justices bring their biases and outside facts into the cases the Supreme Court hears.
* The central question in the OSHA vaccine mandate case came down to which level of government can mandate a vaccine for 65 million people. None of the majority, concurring, or dissenting opinions contemplated individual liberty and letting the people make healthcare choices for themselves.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Ep51 – The Power of Stories with Eric Chow
Friday, January 14, 2022 • Duration 57:36
In this episode, Stefan and I welcome Eric Chow to Mentally Unscripted. Eric is the host of The Eric Chow Empowers Podcast where he interviews people who have powerful stories of overcoming adversity.
Eric is an intelligent, caring person. He shares with us his strategies for gaining the trust of people who are often uncomfortable sharing their stories. We discuss the importance of rapport and preparation. We also talk about how Eric knows when to push harder during an interview and when to let up. It’s an excellent conversation for anyone wanting to know more about drawing difficult stories out of people.
As always, we’re building a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
* Stories of overcoming adversities are some of the most memorable stories. Conversely, stories that lack sincerity and focus on getting attention for the storytelling instead of helping others are the least memorable.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Ep50 – Top 5 Insights of 2021
Saturday, January 8, 2022 • Duration 01:27:06
In this episode, Stefan and I look back at 2021 to identify the tools and insights that helped us most in the last year. We limited our review to five each, so we missed many things we could have included. But we think this list is a fun and informative tool anyone can use to have a better 2022.
As always, we’re building want to build a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Ep49 – Insights on the 3 Rocks: Sleep, Nutrition, and Exercise, with Ben Moore
Wednesday, December 22, 2021 • Duration 01:17:26
Disclaimer: None of the people featured on this episode of Mentally Unscripted are doctors. The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice.
In today's episode, fitness coach Ben Moore joins Stefan and me. We had a fantastic conversation about sleep, nutrition, and exercise. These "3 Rocks," as Ben calls them, form the foundation of an optimal life.
Ben is articulate and possesses knowledge well beyond his age. You'll enjoy this conversation as much as Stefan and I.
As always, we want to build a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
Ep48 – Is Democracy the Opiate of the Masses? with Myron Weber
Thursday, December 16, 2021 • Duration 01:03:34
In today's episode, Myron Weber from Mental Supermodels joins us a fascinating discussion on whether democracy is, to borrow a phrase from Marx, "the opiate of the masses," that's dulling our awareness that the United States is becoming less constitutional, less federal, and less republican. And by republican, we mean the form of government, not the political party.
We had a great discussion that will give you a lot to think about regarding democracy and the direction in which the U.S. is heading.
As always, we want to build a community around Mentally Unscripted. So, share this episode with your friends and interact with us at MentallyUnscripted.com.
And remember, the conclusion you reach is less important than the process you follow to get there.
About Myron
Myron Weber leads the Northwood Advisors team to design and deliver high ROI solutions to business needs:
* Solving complex business data problems in operations, sales, and marketing.
* BI and Data Warehouse design and development.
* Building custom applications to fill gaps not covered by enterprise systems.
Connect with Myron on LinkedIn or learn more at www.NorthwoodAdvisors.com
You can also listen to Myron on Mental Supermodels. He and his co-host, Jeremy, explore the theory and practice, the art and science of mental modeling for problem-solving and decision making in business and life.
You can listen to Mental Supermodels on all major podcast platforms.
* Fear of missing out or letting your emotions drive you into a market often leads to losses. Having a model or strategy in place to sidestep emotional decisions is a must for all investors.
* The crypto culture is a driving force to achieving self-sovereignty. The community driven ecosystem surrounding crypto has attracted innovative people.
* Crypto’s value is in bringing value to the end consumer by cutting out the middleman.
* Because you have success at something once doesn’t mean you’re an expert.
Feel free to email him with questions, comments, or suggestions.
We're also on Odysee. Rumble is coming as soon as Scott gets off his butt and uploads the podcasts.
Here’s how to have stimulating conversations on blistering hot topics without fighting.
It's easier than you think.
Download How to Never Argue Again (Unless you Want To) at Mentally Unscripted and discover the secret "Go Meta" approach that makes any topic fair game.
It's FREE (for now) and worth hundreds in therapy.
Feel free to email him with questions, comments, or suggestions.
We're also on Odysee. Rumble is coming as soon as Scott gets off his butt and uploads the podcasts.
Here’s how to have stimulating conversations on blistering hot topics without fighting.
It's easier than you think.
Download How to Never Argue Again (Unless you Want To) at Mentally Unscripted and discover the secret "Go Meta" approach that makes any topic fair game.
It's FREE (for now) and worth hundreds in therapy.
* Convictionalist: A strong, actively pursued opinion but is open to other ideas.
* Maximalist: A strong opinion and is unwilling to change.
* Toxic Maximalist: A strong opinion and actively puts down other views.
* Self-sovereignty is crypto’s great promise. Can we do that with only Bitcoin or do we need other blockchain technologies playing in the same sandbox?
* What does the game theory around Bitcoin look like? If we focus solely on Bitcoin, are we opening ourselves up to a government or other central authority exerting control over the network?
* Bitcoin is criticized for not innovating fast enough but it’s moving at the speed needed to meet current demands.
Feel free to email him with questions, comments, or suggestions.
We're also on Odysee. Rumble is coming as soon as Scott gets off his butt and uploads the podcasts.
Here’s how to have stimulating conversations on blistering hot topics without fighting.
It's easier than you think.
Download How to Never Argue Again (Unless you Want To) at Mentally Unscripted and discover the secret "Go Meta" approach that makes any topic fair game.
It's FREE (for now) and worth hundreds in therapy.
Feel free to email him with questions, comments, or suggestions.
We're also on Odysee. Rumble is coming as soon as Scott gets off his butt and uploads the podcasts.
Here’s how to have stimulating conversations on blistering hot topics without fighting.
It's easier than you think.
Download How to Never Argue Again (Unless you Want To) at Mentally Unscripted and discover the secret "Go Meta" approach that makes any topic fair game.
It's FREE (for now) and worth hundreds in therapy.
Feel free to email him with questions, comments, or suggestions.
We're also on Odysee. Rumble is coming as soon as Scott gets off his butt and uploads the podcasts.
Here’s how to have stimulating conversations on blistering hot topics without fighting.
It's easier than you think.
Download How to Never Argue Again (Unless you Want To) at Mentally Unscripted and discover the secret "Go Meta" approach that makes any topic fair game.
It's FREE (for now) and worth hundreds in therapy.
* The first 10 to 15 minutes of the interview are key. During this time, the interviewer must get the storyteller relaxed and comfortable to build trust and rapport.
* Preparation is important for an interviewer to draw a deep, sincere story out of someone.
We're also on Odysee. Rumble is coming as soon as Scott gets off his butt and uploads the podcasts.
Here’s how to have stimulating conversations on blistering hot topics without fighting.
It's easier than you think.
Download How to Never Argue Again (Unless you Want To) at Mentally Unscripted and discover the secret "Go Meta" approach that makes any topic fair game.
It's FREE (for now) and worth hundreds in therapy.
* Obsidian is a tool that can take your note-taking to the next level.
* Substack is a good tool for sharing content such as articles, podcasts, and newsletters. The Mentally Unscripted Substack page is the hub of the Mentally Unscripted empire.
* The rule of law is the principle that we are a nation of laws, not of men so that all people are subject to the same laws. But this principle is a myth.
* Reactance is the reaction to rules, regulations, etc. that threaten or eliminate specific freedoms.
* Base rates are an important technique to help us assess risk.
* How you go about learning something is an important aspect of learning.
* We are witnessing a crisis of competence across institutions where they are unable to execute their most basic functions.
We're also on Odysee. Rumble is coming as soon as Scott gets off his butt and uploads the podcasts.
Here’s how to have stimulating conversations on blistering hot topics without fighting.
It's easier than you think.
Download How to Never Argue Again (Unless you Want To) at Mentally Unscripted and discover the secret "Go Meta" approach that makes any topic fair game.
It's FREE (for now) and worth hundreds in therapy.
* The goal to improve your life is to make a lasting change.
* When you do something for a long time, it becomes part of your identity. It takes overcoming your ego to gain the self-awareness to know when you must change. Starting over with something new requires the willingness to take a step back. We can’t let inertia carry us forward to an unfulfilled life.
* A lack of reflection leads people to repeat the same mistakes.
* We should prioritize health and fitness at all ages, not only when we’re older.
* People need adversity to grow and become stronger. We’re too focused on making people comfortable when we should be focused on overcoming “negative energy.”
* Health is simple but not easy. Gaining the needed knowledge is easy but having the required discipline to put that knowledge into practice is a challenge for most people.
* Getting adequate sleep is an easy way to improve your performance.
* Sleep, nutrition, and exercise are the 3 big rocks that make up the foundation for our health. There aren’t any shortcuts on these.
* Your mental diet is as important as your physical diet.
Here’s how to have stimulating conversations on blistering hot topics without fighting.
It's easier than you think.
Download How to Never Argue Again (Unless you Want To) at Mentally Unscripted and discover the secret "Go Meta" approach that makes any topic fair game.
It's FREE (for now) and worth hundreds in therapy.
* The distinction between whether the U.S. is a republic or a democracy is a false dichotomy. Democracy describes the nature of voting, while republic refers to the extent to which public policy reflects the will of the voters.
* The built-in mechanisms for government in the U.S. are the Constitution, federalism, republicanism, and democracy. Over time, the bureaucratic and intelligence state became another mechanism for the government that wasn't intended by the founders. Democracy is the opiate of the masses that hides the diminishing role the Constitution, federalism, and republicanism play in our current system of government.
* There is a large group of unelected bureaucrats that exert a lot of control over the day-to-day life of the citizenry.
* The power and money involved in government distort democracy by turning elections into high-stakes contests that incentivize power-hungry people to do anything necessary to win office.
Here’s How to have stimulating conversations on blistering hot topics without fighting.
It's easier than you think.
Download How to Never Argue Again (Unless you Want To) at Mentally Unscripted and discover the secret "Go Meta" approach that makes any topic fair game.
It's FREE (for now) and worth hundreds in therapy.
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