Darwin, Munger, & More: Seeking Wisdom by Peter Bevelin (Book Summary)

Introduction to Seeking Wisdom

“This book is for those who love the constant search for knowledge. I have focused on explaining timeless ideas.”

• “This book focuses on how our thoughts are influenced, why we make misjudgmentsand tools to improve our thinking. If we understand what influences us, we might avoid certain traps and understand why others act like they do. And if we learn and understand what works and doesn’t work and find some framework for reasoning, we will make better judgments. We can’t eliminate mistakes, but we can prevent those that can really hurt us.”
• “This book has four parts. First, I explore what influences our thinking. This serves as a foundation. In the second part, I give examples of psychological reasons for misjudgments. The third part explores reasons for misjudgments caused both by our psychology and a lack of considering some basic ideas from physics and mathematics. In the final part I reveal tools for better thinking.”
• “The best way to learn what, how and why things work is to learn from others.”

How a Human Works

“It is our brain, its anatomy, physiology and biochemistry and how these parts function that set the limits for how we think. But since our brain’s parts also interact with our body’s anatomy, physiology and biochemistry, we must see brain and body together. They are part of the same system – us.”

System interconnectivity and interactions:

• “Interaction is a fundamental property in biology. There are interactions between molecules, genes, neurons, brain regions, cells, organs and among these individual systems. Each system does its own job but they are all coordinated to produce a functional and unique individual.“
• “The most striking result of our interactive network is flexibility. A flexibility to take on new roles as conditions change and an ability to produce the same result in different ways.”

Neurons:

• “Since it is the connections between neurons that cause our mental capacities, it is not the number of cells that is important but the number of potential connections between them.”
• “What we think and feel depends on chemical reactions. And these chemical reactions are a function of how our neurons connect.”
• “The connections in our brain are constantly strengthened and weakened, developing and changing. The more we are exposed to certain experiences, the more the specific connections are strengthened, and the better we learn and remember those experiences.”
• “What determines how these neurons connect and their patterns? Our genes and life experiences, situational or environmental conditions, and a degree of randomness.“

Genes & Environment:

• “Genes control brain chemistry but are turned on and off by the environment.”