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Inversion

3 min read

Inversion

Solve problems backwards

Definition

Inversion is a mental model that involves approaching problems from the opposite direction. Instead of asking “How do I achieve X?” you ask “How do I avoid not-X?” or “What would guarantee failure?” By avoiding stupidity rather than seeking brilliance, you often achieve better outcomes.

“Invert, always invert.” — Carl Jacobi

Two Types of Inversion

1. Start at the End

Work backwards from the goal:

  • What does success look like?
  • What step immediately precedes that?
  • Continue back to where you are now

2. Avoid Failure

Identify what leads to failure, then avoid it:

  • What would guarantee this fails?
  • What are the biggest risks?
  • How do people usually mess this up?

Examples

Example 1: Personal Finance

Forward question: How do I get rich?

Inverted question: How do I avoid being poor?

  • Don’t accumulate high-interest debt
  • Don’t live beyond your means
  • Don’t speculate with money you can’t lose
  • Don’t ignore compound interest

Result: Avoiding these pitfalls often leads to wealth more reliably than seeking windfalls.

Example 2: Relationships

Forward question: How do I have a happy marriage?

Inverted question: What ruins marriages?

  • Contempt (eye-rolling, mockery)
  • Defensiveness (never admitting fault)
  • Stonewalling (shutting down communication)
  • Criticism (attacking character, not behavior)

Result: John Gottman’s research shows avoiding these four behaviors predicts marital success better than pursuing “romance.”

Example 3: Business Strategy

Forward question: How do we dominate the market?

Inverted question: What kills companies?

  • Running out of cash
  • Hiring the wrong people
  • Losing focus (trying to do everything)
  • Ignoring customers
  • Competing on price alone

Result: Many successful businesses are defined more by what they don’t do than what they do.

Example 4: Health

Forward question: How do I get healthy?

Inverted question: What makes people unhealthy?

  • Poor sleep habits
  • Sedentary lifestyle
  • Processed food
  • Chronic stress
  • Smoking and excessive alcohol

Result: Avoiding these is more important than any supplement or biohack.

Why Inversion Works

Asymmetry

  • It’s easier to avoid bad decisions than make great ones
  • Negative knowledge (what not to do) is more robust
  • Failure modes are more consistent than success paths

Psychological Relief

  • Solving for “avoid failure” reduces anxiety
  • Stopping bad habits is more concrete than starting good ones
  • Defensive posture is cognitively easier

Survivorship Bias

  • We study successes but learn more from failures
  • Failure is more common and data-rich
  • What not to do is often more universal

How to Apply Inversion

Step 1: State the Goal

“I want to achieve X.”

Step 2: Invert

“I want to avoid not-X.” “What would guarantee not-X happens?”

Step 3: List Failure Modes

Brainstorm all ways to fail at the goal.

Step 4: Create Avoidance Strategies

For each failure mode, identify how to prevent it.

Step 5: Execute the Avoidance

Focus energy on not doing the stupid thing.

Combined with Forward Thinking

Best results come from combining both approaches:

Forward: “What great things should I do?” Inverted: “What terrible things should I avoid?”

The intersection is where success lives.

Quotes

“It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.” — Charlie Munger

“If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth writing.” — Benjamin Franklin (inverted: how not to be forgotten)

Avoiding stupidity is easier than achieving brilliance. Start there. 🙃

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