Prioritize Understanding Over Reaction

Effective decision-making often hinges on comprehending situations before acting, as illustrated by historical anecdotes. In a high-stakes scenario aboard a Russian nuclear submarine, a commander exemplified this principle by resisting the impulse to retaliate amidst confusion. Instead of assuming a malicious intent behind alarming events, he opted for clarity, which ultimately averted a potential global catastrophe. This underscores the importance of applying mental models that emphasize understanding motives and defer hasty responses, particularly in crisis situations.