#110: How to Train Your Brain to Think Systemically

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In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University answer a listener question: what are the biggest things that prevent someone from becoming a systems thinker?

They break down three major barriers—reality bias, confirmation bias, and the lack of deliberate practice in how we organize information. The conversation explores how mental models shape everything we see, why people often confuse their mental model with reality, and how learning the structural “moves” of thinking can dramatically improve decision-making and problem solving.

They also explain the Love Reality Loop, the six foundational thinking moves, and why practicing these simple cognitive skills can transform how you understand complex situations, work with others, and navigate the modern information-rich world.

If you want to develop the skill of systems thinking, it starts with recognizing the mental models you’re already building—and learning how to align them more closely with reality.