Zero to 1: How to Inquire Without Fooling Yourself
We've been preparing for this. Now we begin.
Before we ask what’s real, we must ask: how do we know we’re not deceiving ourselves?
Friends,
Last week I announced a shift.
We’ve spent months building foundations—Identity, Consciousness, Purpose, Morality. Now we go deeper.
We ask: What is real? What can we know with 100% certainty?
But before we begin the inquiry, we need to establish how to inquire.
This territory is treacherous. It’s easy to fool yourself. It’s easy to find what you’re looking for—whether it’s true or not.
So today, we lay down the ground rules.
4 Principles for Inquiry
I. Start With What Must Be True
We build only on what is undeniable.
Not what we hope is true. Not what feels true. Not what we’ve been told is true.
Only what cannot be false.
First principles are built on bedrock, not sand.
II. Occam’s Razor
Don’t add anything to an explanation if the addition makes no difference.
Could a giant invisible squid secretly control the universe? Sure. But believing this adds nothing. It’s not provable or disprovable. We could replace “squid” with anything and make the same argument.
If it doesn’t change the explanation, cut it.
III. Logical Consistency
No circular reasoning. If A is true because B is true, and B is true because A is true—neither is established.
No infinite regress. Every “why” answered with another “why” forever isn’t an explanation. It’s an evasion.
If a position contradicts itself, it’s not true. Full stop.
IV. Red Teaming & Intellectual Honest
We steelman others’ perspectives and attack our positions from every angle.
The goal isn’t to defend what we believe.
It’s to find what survives the attack.
If an idea can’t withstand scrutiny, it doesn’t deserve our allegiance.
V. Hold Conclusions Loosely
Every conclusion is a resting point, not a destination. What we "know" today may be refined tomorrow.
4 Traps to Watch For
I. Motivated Reasoning
We want answers that comfort us. That confirms what we already believe. That makes us feel safe.
This makes us blind.
The truth doesn’t care about your comfort. If you’re only finding what you want to find, you’re not inquiring—you’re validating.
II. Cognitive Bias
There are over 180 documented cognitive biases. Confirmation bias. Anchoring. Availability heuristic. The list goes on.
Every claim we make, every position we hold—we must ask: Is this true, or does it just feel true because of how my brain is wired?
III. Limitations
We are limited in what we can perceive, know, and process.
We can’t see ultraviolet light. We can’t hear certain frequencies. We can’t hold more than a few variables in working memory.
Humility isn’t weakness. It’s accuracy.
This is why we don’t inquire alone. We look at how others—across centuries and traditions—have answered these questions.
Not to adopt their answers.
But to expand beyond our own blind spots.
IV. The Map is Not The Territory
Every model, framework, and explanation is a representation—not the thing itself. Don't mistake the finger pointing at the moon for the moon.
The Method
Start with what must be true.
Cut what doesn’t matter.
Demand logical consistency.
Attack your own ideas.
Watch for the traps.
This is how we inquire without fooling ourselves.
Next week, we begin.
4 Quotes
I.
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.”
Richard Feynman
II.
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
Aristotle
III.
“We don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are.”
Anaïs Nin
IV.
“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”
Daniel Boorstin
1 Question
What belief do you hold that you’ve never seriously tried to disprove?
Grateful to be on this journey with you,
Stefan