转载自： https://www.quora.com/What-is-first-principles-thinking
Thank for A2A. So there is a lot of noise about first principle thinking approach as advocated by Elon Musk. A lot of you think of it as some highly guarded secret accessible to only a handful intellectuals of the society and incomprehensible to the majority. So, let me break it for you in simple words. Well, first principle thinking is something which has been in practice for years and a lot of us might as well already use it albeit subconsciously without even realising that we are using it. It is probably one of the finest ways of approaching problems; although I’m not convinced that it’s the best one out there and I can personally name a few better approaches but for those of you who don’t understand what it is, this is how it goes:
A first principle is a basic assumption that cannot be deduced any further. It can be defined as the first basis from which a thing is known. In other words, First principles thinking is a fancy way of saying-think like a scientist. Scientists don’t assume anything. They start with questions like, What are we absolutely sure is true? What has been proven?
In theory, first principles thinking requires you to dig deeper and deeper until you are left with only the foundational truths of a situation. You got to systematically doubt everything you could possibly doubt until you are left with what you see as purely indubitable truths.
In practice, you don’t have to simplify every problem down to the atomic level to get the benefits of first principles thinking. You just need to go one or two levels deeper than most people. Different solutions present themselves at different layers of abstraction. Let me give you an example:
Imagine you have three things:
A motorboat with a skier behind it
A military tank
A bicycle
Now, let’s break these items down into their constituent parts:
Motorboat: motor, a boat, and a pair of skis.
Tank: metal treads, steel armour plates, and a gun.
Bicycle: handlebars, wheels, and a seat.
What can you create from these individual parts? One option is to make a snowmobile by combining the handlebars and seat from the bike, the metal threads from the tank, and the motor and skis from the boat.
This is the process of first principles thinking in a nutshell. It is a cycle of breaking a situation down into the core pieces and then putting them all back together in a more effective way.
The human tendency for imitation is a common roadblock to first principles thinking. A lot of people call me the smartest guy in the room. I'm not smart, I'm a good observer. What I have observed is that when most people envision the future, they project the current form forward rather than projecting the function forward and abandoning the form.
For instance, when criticizing technological progress some people ask, “Where are the flying cars?”
Here’s the thing: We have flying cars. They’re called airplanes. People who ask this question are so focused on form (a flying object that looks like a car) that they overlook the function (transportation by flight). This is what Elon Musk is referring to when he says that people often “live life by analogy.”
Be wary of the ideas you inherit. Old conventions and previous forms are often accepted without question and, once accepted, they set a boundary around creativity.
This difference is one of the key distinctions between continuous improvement and first principles thinking. Continuous improvement tends to occur within the boundary set by the original vision. By comparison, first principles thinking requires you to abandon your allegiance to previous forms and put the function front and centre. What are you trying to accomplish? What is the functional outcome you are looking to achieve?
Optimize the function. Ignore the form. This is how you learn to think for yourself.
In short, Deconstruct then reconstruct.
~Thoughts at office