Austin Scholar #165: How to teach your teenager clear thinking
& Charlie Munger’s checklist: Parents’ version
Hey, y'all!
This week from Austin Scholar...
How to teach your teenager clear thinking
Scholar’s Sources: What I’ve been thinking about…
As those of you with high schoolers know, AP exams started this week, and I have to say that I am so proud of my sister. She has been working so incredibly hard and I wanted to take a moment to shout her out. Not only did she start and finish all of AP chemistry in a month, but she’s also been doing interviews with the Atlantic, meeting with experts in the teenager-development field like Dr. David Yeager, and growing her AI teen dating coach to 60,000 downloads on the app store. She is an absolute force and massively impressive junior in high school. Let me know if y’all would like me to interview her or ask her for advice for your kid :)
Everyone please wish her luck on the rest of her exams!!
How to teach your teenager clear thinking
Last summer, I read Warren Buffett’s biography, which got me really interested in investing. I wrote a newsletter about how I was planning on becoming an expert in investing, and one of my exercises was to ask ChatGPT to generate a list of people who are already experts in investing and what I can learn from them. Of course, Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett’s partner, was a massive feature on the list. Aside from all of his investing knowledge, I love Munger’s mental models and checklists.
I believe these models, which were originally for financial decisions, can also be a game-changer for how kids approach challenges and build critical thinking skills. A lot of the mental roadblocks investors run into as adults are the same as the mental roadblocks we run into as teens.
Hear me out: I know the two things sound unrelated, but it turns out a lot of the types of problems we run into as teens can also be solved by clear thinking (crazy, right?). And a lot of teenagers haven't gotten the chance to even learn what clear thinking is, let alone how to do it.
With them in mind, I broke down Munger’s principles in a way they can understand, then came up with tips for parents to guide their children in mastering these habits.
Here’s a copy of Charlie Munger’s list of mental models:
Here’s my summary of Charlie Munger’s checklist for clear thinking (adapted for kids)
Think about risks first: Think about the impact that your decisions could have on your or your life before acting. Protect your name and always have a backup plan. Don’t associate with sketchy people. Pay attention to the hidden costs to your decisions – would the thing you’re considering doing make someone who you care about angry with you? Hurt? How could you avoid that?
Think for yourself: Don’t just do what everyone else is doing. Figure out what’s right by using your own brain, not just following the crowd. Being different can help you stand out in a good way, not just be average.
Keep learning: Read. More. Books. Hard work and curiosity pay off. Ask tons of questions like “Why does this happen?” and get prepared for anything – whether it’s a test or a game. Make a plan and don’t do your homework the period before it’s due. Being ready is more important than just wanting to win.
Be honest about what you don’t know: Don’t pretend that you know what you’re talking about when you don’t. Listen in conversations when people are talking about things you don’t know. Deluding yourself and others that you’re an expert doesn’t help anyone. Listen when others disagree and don’t pretend to know it all. That’s how you get smarter.
Take your time: Don’t rush just because you feel like it. A little bit every day will compound to something amazing. Enjoy the steps along the way, not just the finish line, and wait for the right moments to shine.
Be brave: When a great chance comes along, go for it with all you’ve got. Sometimes, do the opposite of what everyone else is doing if you think it’s smart. Big wins come from being ready and bold.
Charlie Munger’s checklist: Parents’ version
Now, parents, part of your job is creating an environment where your kids feel safe actually embodying these behaviors. Some of this stuff sounds easier than it is, and can be scary for a teenager to embody. Here’s how to guide your kids to become clearer and more critical thinkers: