What is this?
Wisdom Pavilion is a systematic knowledge library of high-leverage thinking tools. We believe: true wisdom isn’t knowing more — it’s having better thinking tools. When you understand the underlying patterns of how the world operates, you can make clearer judgments and more effective decisions in any domain. This site covers 357+ core concepts from philosophy, psychology, economics, physics, game theory, and management, structured to help you:- Identify the default programs and blind spots of human cognition
- Understand the stable laws that govern how the world works
- Build transferable mental frameworks and decision-making tools
- Penetrate the essence of complex problems and their solutions
Ten Categories
Thinking
35 cognitive frameworks and thinking styles. From first principles to Bayesian thinking, from systems thinking to inversion — thinking is your operating system.
Effects
50 psychological effects and cognitive biases. Dunning-Kruger, confirmation bias, loss aversion — these are the default programs of the human mind.
Laws
35 stable laws and principles. Pareto’s law, Murphy’s law, Moore’s law — the world has rules; understanding them lets you work with rather than against them.
Models
35 transferable mental models. Flywheel effect, compounding model, prisoner’s dilemma — models are reusable cognitive tools for decomposing complexity.
Methods
35 actionable methodologies. Feynman Technique, OODA Loop, OKR — methods are executable processes that turn thinking into action.
Principles
30 decision filters and value orientations. KISS, Occam’s Razor, antifragility — principles keep you clear-headed when pressure clouds judgment.
Fallacies
35 logical fallacies and reasoning traps. Straw man, ad hominem, slippery slope — recognizing fallacies makes your arguments bulletproof.
Paradoxes
32 classic paradoxes and logical puzzles. Fermi paradox, Ship of Theseus, Stockdale paradox — paradoxes are complexity at its most concentrated.
Strategies
35 game theory strategies and strategic thinking. Blue Ocean, Tit-for-Tat, BATNA — find optimal paths through competition and cooperation.
Philosophy
45 philosophical concepts and schools of thought. Stoicism, existentialism, Taoism — philosophy is the bedrock beneath all other thinking.
How to Use
Explore by category
Click any category card above to enter its overview page and browse all related concepts.
Read deep-dive articles
Every concept has its own page covering: definition, origin, key points, applications, case study, misconceptions, and related concepts.
Build your concept network
Every article ends with “Related Concepts.” Follow the links to build your own cognitive map.
Start Here
First Principles Thinking
Strip away all assumptions; rebuild from fundamental truths
Dunning-Kruger Effect
Why the least competent are the most confident
Pareto Principle
80% of outcomes come from 20% of causes
Prisoner's Dilemma
Why rational individuals fail to achieve optimal cooperation
Feynman Technique
Use output to test whether you truly understand
Stoicism
Control what you can; accept what you cannot
Cognition isn’t collecting flashcards — it’s building a compiler.
When you encounter a problem and can distinguish: Is this a thinking issue? A human psychological effect? An objective law? Or the wrong method? — your decision quality jumps by an entire order of magnitude.
When you encounter a problem and can distinguish: Is this a thinking issue? A human psychological effect? An objective law? Or the wrong method? — your decision quality jumps by an entire order of magnitude.