Moehr Better Universals
January 14, 2023
It's easy to notice how we're all different. What about the ways we're all the same?
This is my attempt to gather many of those things into one framework. Things like thinking thoughts, or keeping placeholders, playing games, telling stories, or experiencing music. Things we all do and understand, whether we're aware of it or not.
It's my latest step of 25+ years of curious exploration. It's not about what to think, but how we think. In the last couple of years, I finally figured out how it all tied together (for me). This is my magnum opus, the most important thing I've ever created. It's literally changed my life, and how I see myself and everyone I interact with. It's given me a new appreciation and awe for what it means to be an irreplaceable person — like each and every one of you.
I plan to spend 2023 (and now 2024) explaining what each one means, and how we all already know these patterns (even if we don't know that we know). More importantly, I hope to show how anyone can start using them to think better, understand more, and enjoy every day in a deeper, richer way.
It's easy to notice how we're all different. What about the ways we're all the same?
This is my attempt to gather many of those things into one framework. Things like thinking thoughts, or keeping placeholders, playing games, telling stories, or experiencing music. Things we all do and understand, whether we're aware of it or not.
It's my latest step of 25+ years of curious exploration. It's not about what to think, but how we think. In the last couple of years, I finally figured out how it all tied together (for me). This is my magnum opus, the most important thing I've ever created. It's literally changed my life, and how I see myself and everyone I interact with. It's given me a new appreciation and awe for what it means to be an irreplaceable person — like each and every one of you.
I plan to spend 2023 (and now 2024) explaining what each one means, and how we all already know these patterns (even if we don't know that we know). More importantly, I hope to show how anyone can start using them to think better, understand more, and enjoy every day in a deeper, richer way.
The Moehr Better Universals framework –
8 hidden models we all use to make sense of the world
- thinking Thoughts — how we organize information to build knowledge
- framing Moments — how we make sense of what gets our attention
- recalling Memories — how we use our past to help our future
- creating Drafts — how we make things that never existed before
- playing Games — how we choose to interact with each other
- telling Stories — how we describe the way things act in the world
- feeling Music — how we arrange sounds to move us
- becoming You — how we are all unique agents of potential
Here's a one-pager of the top level - Becoming You:
February 12, 2023
I made a separate place for this. It's a combination of a website, an online book, and a wiki. As I write and add content, that site will be updated in real time. It's a live work-in-progress. I got the idea from Andy Matuschak's note "work with the garage door up".
I made a separate place for this. It's a combination of a website, an online book, and a wiki. As I write and add content, that site will be updated in real time. It's a live work-in-progress. I got the idea from Andy Matuschak's note "work with the garage door up".
January 14, 2024
You'll notice there isn't much content in there beyond the overall elements and structure. I've written over 35,000 words so far, but in another document (technical reasons). The editing has begun, and I will be bringing sections in as I get the drafts cleaned up a bit.
You'll notice there isn't much content in there beyond the overall elements and structure. I've written over 35,000 words so far, but in another document (technical reasons). The editing has begun, and I will be bringing sections in as I get the drafts cleaned up a bit.
- TECH NOTES:
- The other site/wiki/online book was built with TheBrain. It allows me to focus 99.5% on content, and 0.5% on making a working site. This is perfect for an easily-distracted designer. It's the same reason I picked Weebly for this Moehr Better site — fewer design choices, so I could just focus on content.
- Writing was done in Google Docs because of simplicity, excellent dictation, auto-save, and easy access from my phone.
- Editing is happening in Essay. It's a simple, logical, practical tool for editing and reorganizing any writing. I load a section at a time and try to make it the best I can. When is a section done? When I personally can't make it any better.
- I will not use AI for any writing or editing on this project. Writing is thinking. My goal (and the fun!) is to figure this all out myself. I want to really get clear about the ideas and describe them the best I can. The actual writing is the work, and the quest. Using AI would be like having someone do the pullups for me. I wouldn't get the value of doing the work myself.