Fundamental Mental Model (FMM)
Dawson uses OR and AND as labels for exclusive and collaborative ways of thinking. The distinction asks whether a choice must favor one side or can accommodate interests from both.
THE IDEA
Chapter 12: The Fundamental Mental Model
Dawson calls the assumptions that shape what we regard as possible a Fundamental Mental Model, or FMM. He contrasts two approaches:
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OR: Treat the choice as either one side or the other.
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AND: Look for a way to include or combine both sides.
In his account, OR thinking emphasizes separation, individual identity, ownership, and rights. It can support personal effort and creativity, but it can also encourage exclusion, loneliness, or greed when every issue becomes a contest between individuals and groups.
He associates this approach with black-and-white judgments such as true or false, right or wrong, and good or bad. The practical question is whether a particular situation really requires an exclusive choice or permits a combination. OR and AND are the author’s labels for these habits of thought.
When to use it
Political discussion: identify which proposals conflict and which interests could be addressed together.
Personal relationships: examine whether a disagreement requires one person to give way or allows a shared arrangement.
Business negotiations: look for combinations of terms that serve both parties before treating every concession as an equal loss.
Problem-solving: test whether apparently competing approaches can be combined.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Me or You
The phrase 'me OR you' treats a benefit as exclusive. Before competing for it, ask whether the resource is genuinely indivisible or whether both people’s needs can be met.
Black-and-White Thinking
The OR model reduces complex realities to binary oppositions like true/false, right/wrong, good/bad, ignoring nuance and grey areas.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
In what areas of your life do you typically apply the OR model? How does that affect your relationships and decisions?
Can you think of a situation where using the AND model instead of OR could lead to a more collaborative outcome?
How does black-and-white thinking limit your ability to understand complex issues?
Often confused with
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Thinking in Systems and Mental Models Think Like a Super Thinker (Dawson, Marcus P)