The best ideas aren’t found on the surface. That’s something I’ve learned over time—often the hard way.
What seems obvious at first glance is rarely the whole story. The real insights, the ones that stick with you and change how you see the world, live beneath layers of noise, convention, and half-truths. But peeling back those layers takes effort. It requires patience, curiosity, and the courage to ask uncomfortable questions.
I’ve spent years refining the ability to think in layers. Whether it’s analyzing markets, understanding people, or solving problems, the ability to go beyond the obvious has paid dividends.
Today, I want to share a bit what I’ve learned about layered thinking—how it works, why it matters, and how you can use it to make better decisions in life, work, and investing.
The Surface is just a starting point
Most people stop at the first layer of information. I get it—it’s easy to skim headlines, scan social media, or glance at quarterly earnings and think you have a grasp of what’s happening.
But I’ve found that surface-level thinking is often dangerous. It gives the illusion of understanding while masking the deeper truths.
Take investing, for example. A stock might look cheap based on its price-to-earnings multiple, but what if the earnings are unsustainable? Or what if the market has already priced in a looming risk that isn’t immediately obvious?
I’ve been burned before by stopping at the surface, so now I always try to go deeper.
Whenever I’m tempted to take things at face value, I ask myself: What am I missing? Why might this not be true?
This might sound obvious to many, but I guarantee you that the vast majority of people in business out there just stick with face value.
And who can blame them? Plenty of people have to deal with stress and deadlines on a daily basis.
Bit the surface is a useful entry point, but it’s never the destination. It’s not always comfortable to dig deeper, but it’s essential.
Patterns speak louder than headlines
If the surface tells you what is happening, the layers beneath often reveal the why.
And when you dig far enough, you start to notice patterns—recurring dynamics that echo across industries, relationships, even history.
I’m fascinated by how these patterns connect seemingly unrelated domains. In markets, for example, you can see the same cycles of fear and greed play out over decades.
Bull runs, crashes, bubbles—they all follow human psychology. It’s the same reason why trends emerge in fashion, technology, or even how we consume media. The specifics change, but the underlying forces remain the same.
Whenever I’m trying to understand a new situation, I ask myself: Where have I seen this before? What’s the rhyme here?
Often, it’s not about predicting the future but recognizing the echoes of the past. Patterns are the hidden language of the world, and the more fluent you become, the more you see connections others miss.
Asking better questions unlocks the layers
One of the biggest shifts in my thinking happened when I realized that great insights don’t come from having all the answers—they come from asking better questions.
I’ve noticed that whenever I feel stuck, it’s usually because I’m asking the wrong questions. For example, when I first started investing, I’d often ask simple questions like, Is this stock undervalued?
But over time, I learned to consistently dig deeper: What does the market know that I don’t? What needs to happen for this investment to succeed? What’s the range of possible outcomes? The answers weren’t always clear, but asking the right questions opened up new layers of understanding.
Now, I rely on a few frameworks to guide my questioning:
First Principles Thinking: I try to break complex problems into their most basic truths. Instead of asking, Why is this trend fading? I might ask, What fundamental value does this product or service provide, and is that changing?
Inversion: Sometimes, the best way to understand what to do is to ask, What would guarantee failure? It’s amazing how often the path to success is simply avoiding obvious mistakes.
Zooming In and Out: I force myself to look at problems from multiple levels. What does this look like up close? What about from 30,000 feet? Changing perspectives often reveals overlooked details.
Good questions are like compasses—they don’t give you all the answers, but they point you in the right direction.
Where the layers come together
Peeling back layers is only part of the process. The real magic happens when you start to connect them. I’ve found that the best ideas often come from synthesizing insights across multiple domains.
It’s rarely about being the smartest person in the room—it’s about seeing connections that others overlook.
For example, one of my favorite thinkers, Charlie Munger, often talks about the power of interdisciplinary knowledge. He draws lessons from psychology, biology, history, and economics to make better decisions. I’ve tried to emulate that approach.
Whenever I encounter a problem, I ask myself: What can I borrow from other fields? How does this fit into the bigger picture?
It’s not always easy. Synthesis takes time, and it often feels messy. But when the pieces click together, it’s deeply rewarding. The more layers you understand, the more complete your view of the world becomes.
The simplicity beyond complexity
Here’s a paradox I’ve come to appreciate: the deeper you go, the simpler things often become.
When you first start peeling back layers, everything feels more complicated. There are new variables, uncertainties, and nuances to consider. But if you keep going, you eventually reach a kind of clarity.
I’ve experienced this in investing, where the best strategies are often deceptively simple—buy great businesses, hold them for the long term, and stay patient. Ignore the rest.
But that simplicity is hard-earned. It rests on a foundation of understanding market dynamics, behavioral psychology, and the power of compounding.
The same is true in life.
Some of the most profound truths—focus on what you can control, invest in relationships, prioritize health—are simple in principle but require layers of experience to truly appreciate.
The gift of layered thinking
Layered thinking isn’t just a tool for solving problems or making decisions—it’s a mindset. It’s about refusing to settle for easy answers, staying curious, and embracing the complexity of the world around us.
It’s not always the fastest path, but it’s the one that leads to deeper insights and better outcomes.
The next time you encounter a challenge, a trend, or even a conversation, try this: pause and ask yourself, What’s beneath the surface? What am I missing?
It’s not always comfortable, but it’s worth it. The best ideas are rarely found in plain sight. They’re waiting for those willing to uncover the layers.
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Never thought i'd read an essay about 2nd order thinking and issue trees like this before - going beyond the layer is very much a System 2 style of thinking that's hard to do without carving out time and attention to do it