Wisdom Of Crowds + These Two Premium Prompts Unlock AI's Collective Intelligence
If I had to pick one underrated mental model that supercharges my AI interactions, it would be the Wisdom Of Crowds. This model helps you turn a single AI into a think tank, synthesizing diverse perspectives to deliver truly genius answers.
Bizarrely, I have never seen any other prompting guides talk about it. Odd.
In this post, I’m going to show you two specific “Wisdom Of Crowds” prompts that will immediately:
Help AI give you smarter answers
Take you to the frontiers of world-class, creative prompting
Help you understand any topic at a deep, multi-dimensional level
Help you coin 12 Trademark Ideas you can own in less than 5 minutes
Free subscribers get access to a basic prompt that you can use multiple times a day to get drastically more from almost anything you do with AI.
Paid subscribers also get access to a 4-part “galaxy brain” prompt that will blow your mind and set you apart as a learner, thinker, and thought leader. In addition, paid subscribers get access to:
The two-hour Frontier Prompting class I did on the Wisdom Of Crowds on Tuesday (which will be uploaded tomorrow)
$2,000+ of other perks (courses, premium AI prompts, paid podcast, 50+ curated video lessons)
Before I share the prompts, it’s important to get a basic understanding of the Wisdom of Crowds mental model…
The Wisdom Of Crowds In 8 Photos And One Video
Source: Video above is a supercut of a full lecture at CMX
The Wisdom Of Crowds model, which I first learned about in James Surowiecki’s The Wisdom Of Crowds is simple and profound:
A large, diverse group of indepedent perspectives is often collectively smarter than a single expert perspective.
This simple idea works in surprisingly many areas:
Forecasting the future (See Superforecasting book where a crowd of amateurs out-predicted the CIA)
Complex problem-solving (Many of the most complex problems in the world, like war, obesity, and climate change, require many diverse specialties and perspectives)
Deciding what product to buy (Accessing many diverse reviews helps you make better decisions than just getting one review)
AI Performance (In machine learning / ensemble learning, multiple, diverse models often outperform a single model)
Breakthrough ideas (A review of 20M+ academic papers showed that the highest impact studies used atypical combinations of ideas from multiple collaborators with diverse backgrounds)
Prompting AI (see more below)
Here’s why the Wisdom Of Crowds works in a nutshell:
Reality is relative and complex.
Every perspective reveals something new and misses something.
No one person can see or experience everything.
When you combine diverse, independent perspectives, you get the benefits of each while canceling out the blind spots.
The parable of the blind researchers touching an elephant illustrates this perfectly.
Several blind scientists touch a different part of an elephant, and they each come to a different conclusion about what they are touching, even though they are technically touching the same thing. The only way to get the full picture of the elephant is to combine many diverse perspectives and leverage the Wisdom Of Crowds.
Said differently, think of the Wisdom Of Crowds like a massive jigsaw puzzle for reality. Each person holds a piece, and only by combining them all do we see the fullest picture.
Here’s a mathematical example from researcher Scott Page’s book, The Diversity Bonus, one of my favorite books on the topic.
Imagine three people who could collaborate with each other: Alice, Bob, and Charlie.
Further, imagine that the goal is to find the best collaboration pair. The collaboration possibilities are:
Alice and Bob
Alice and Charlie
Bob and Charlie
Each person comes with a combination of different tools they bring to the collaboration. In this case, each unique tool is represented as a unique letter: A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Here are the tools that each person brings to the table:
Alice: A, B, C, D, E
Bob: A, B, E, F
Charlie: C, D, G
Thus, each has the following quantity of tools:
Alice: 5 tools
Bob: 4 tools
Charlie: 3 tools
At first glance, you would think that the best collaboration pair would be Alice and Bob because they have the most total tools between them:
Alice and Bob: 9 total tools
Alice and Charlie: 8 total tools
Bob and Charlie: 7 total tools
But, what’s important to understand is that:
Two people having the same tool is not synergistic to the collaboration.
Two people having different tools is synergistic to the collaboration.
Thus, when you factor in the quantity and diversity of tools, the winning collaboration team is Bob and Charlie because between them, they have the most unique set of tools:
Bob and Charlie: 7 unique tools
Alice and Bob: 6 unique tools
Alice and Charlie: 6 unique tools
Bottom line: The Wisdom Of Crowds is powerful in lots of contexts, and it has two parts:
Crowds: Individuals coming together
Wisdom: In a synergistic way
But, here’s the weird thing…
Most people do the opposite of the Wisdom Of Crowds on both levels.
Single: They look at reality from one perspective in each domain.
Madness: Those perspectives combine in echo chambers, manias, and crashes—making everyone collectively more stupid.
Let me break down what happens…
To Fully Understand The Wisdom Of Crowds, You Need To Understand The Madness Of Crowds
First, most people stick with the first good-enough perspective they are exposed to (availability bias) rather than becoming a perspective collector. They think that their perspective is reality:
Then, they only notice things that confirm that perspective (confirmation bias) rather than actively looking for ideas that challenge their perspectives (active open-mindedness)…
Next, most people gravitate to other people with the same perspective (preferential attachment) rather than looking for people who are different from them:
As a result of more confirming evidence and social proof, they hold on to their ideas more strongly, leading to polarization. Thus, most spend all of their time arguing for why their perspective is right and other perspectives are wrong.
This leads to individual arguments:
…and group conflicts:
Wisdom Of Crowds Quick Summary
To make sure you get the =Wwisdom Of Crowds rather than the Madness Of Crowds, you need to do several things…
Adopt the right mindset
Use four key elements
Know when to use it
Adopt the right mindset:
Be actively open-minded and search for new and diverse perspectives, tools, skills, and relationships that expand and challenge your existing ones and create a synergistic whole.
Use these four key elements:
Diversity of opinion: People who bring something unique.
Independence: Opinions that aren’t determined by others’ opinions.
Decentralization: People who are able to specialize and draw on local knowledge.
Aggregation: Mechanism for turning private judgements into collective decisions.
Know when to use it:
For example, the Wisdom Of Crowds often isn’t the best approach for things like advanced scientific research, surgery, or highly technical fields.
Now that you have a basic understanding of the Wisdom Of Crowds model, you’re probably wondering how to actually use that understanding while prompting.
I got you covered. Let’s dive into prompts…
These Galaxy Brain Prompts Will Help You Become A World-Class Frontier Prompter
Note: All of the transcripts below are from conversations with Claude Sonnet 3.5.The following three sets of prompts are organized in the following order:
❌ Good Prompt
When most people prompt AI, they just ask for one thing. In the example below, I just asked for one mental model on learning. The response I got back is ok…
Prompt #1:
What’s a mental model I can use to learn faster and better?
Claude:
One effective mental model for learning faster and better is the "Feynman Technique," named after renowned physicist Richard Feynman. Here's a concise overview:
Choose a concept you want to learn.
Explain it to a 12-year-old (or imagine doing so).
Identify gaps in your explanation or understanding.
Review and simplify.
This technique works by forcing you to break down complex ideas into simple language, which helps identify areas where your understanding is lacking. It also reinforces learning through the act of explanation.
Would you like me to elaborate on how to apply this technique or discuss other learning strategies?
While this prompt and response are good, we’re not looking for good. We’re looking for great…
✅ Great Prompt
Prompt:
What are 10 mental models on learning I can use to learn faster and better.
Each should be from 10 different academic disciplines. Together, they should collectively maximize the rate and depth of learning using the wisdom of crowds effect.
Explain the unique value that each mental model provides and how to use them in tandem.
AI:
Here are 10 mental models on learning from different academic disciplines that can collectively help you learn faster and better:
Cognitive Psychology: The Spacing Effect
The spacing effect shows that learning is more effective when study sessions are spaced out over time, rather than crammed together.Value: Improves long-term retention and recall.
Usage: Spread out your study sessions for a topic over days or weeks instead of cramming.
Neuroscience: Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity refers to the brain's ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections, especially in response to learning or experience.
Value: Emphasizes the brain's adaptability and capacity for lifelong learning.
Usage: Engage in varied learning experiences to promote brain plasticity and growth.
Education: Bloom's Taxonomy
A hierarchical model of cognitive skills, from basic recall to complex evaluation and creation.
Value: Provides a framework for deeper understanding and application of knowledge. Usage: When learning a new topic, progress through the levels from remembering to creating.
Computer Science: Chunking
Chunking involves breaking down large amounts of information into smaller, manageable "chunks".
Value: Enhances information processing and working memory capacity.
Usage: Organize complex information into logical groups or categories for easier comprehension and recall.
Philosophy: The Socratic Method
A form of cooperative dialogue based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking.
Value: Promotes deeper understanding through questioning and reflection.
Usage: Regularly question your assumptions and seek to understand the fundamental principles of what you're learning.
Economics: Opportunity Cost
The loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one option is chosen.
Value: Helps prioritize learning efforts and manage time effectively.
Usage: Evaluate the trade-offs of focusing on one area of study versus another to maximize learning outcomes.
Biology: Circadian Rhythms
The natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours.
Value: Aligns learning with your body's natural energy cycles.
Usage: Schedule challenging learning tasks during your peak cognitive hours.
Linguistics: Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
Chomsky's theory that humans have an innate ability to learn language.
Value: Suggests that we have inherent capabilities for pattern recognition and rule inference.
Usage: Apply language learning strategies (like immersion and pattern recognition) to other areas of study.
Anthropology: Cultural Relativism
The principle of understanding and evaluating an individual's beliefs and behaviors in terms of their own culture.
Value: Promotes open-mindedness and reduces bias in learning.
Usage: Approach new subjects with cultural context in mind, recognizing that there may be multiple valid perspectives.
Systems Theory: Feedback Loops
Circular cause and effect processes where an output of a system circles back as an input, influencing future outcomes.
Value: Emphasizes the importance of continuous assessment and adjustment in learning.
Usage: Regularly test your understanding and use the results to guide further study, creating a positive feedback loop for improvement.
Using these models in tandem:
Start by using the Spacing Effect to plan your study schedule. Within each session, use Chunking to break down complex information. Apply Bloom's Taxonomy to ensure you're engaging with the material at increasingly complex levels.
As you study, use the Socratic Method to question and deepen your understanding. Be mindful of Opportunity Costs when choosing what to focus on, and align your most challenging work with your Circadian Rhythms for peak performance.
Approach your learning with an understanding of Neuroplasticity, knowing that consistent effort will physically change your brain. Apply language learning strategies inspired by the Language Acquisition Device theory to recognize patterns and internalize rules.
Maintain Cultural Relativism to keep an open mind and consider multiple perspectives. Finally, use Feedback Loops to continuously assess your progress and adjust your approach, creating a self-improving learning system.
By integrating these diverse models, you create a holistic approach to learning that addresses cognitive, physiological, and methodological aspects, potentially maximizing both the rate and depth of your learning.
This prompt is great on three levels:
1. It pulls from multiple disciplines (diversity).
2. It shows how to get the synergistic effects of using models together.
3. It's just one prompt, making it pretty easy to use. 🌌 🧠 🤯 Galaxy Brain Prompt
This 4-prompt series taps into the power of the Wisdom Of Crowds multiple times in order to help you identify and integrate diverse examples of:
Dimensions of learning
Terms of learning
Names for a new term to set you apart as a thought leader
New models for learning to set you apart as a thought leader
Paid subscribers get access to:
The four prompts, along with explanations of why each is so powerful.
The two-hour Frontier Prompting class I did on the Wisdom Of Crowds on Tuesday (which will be uploaded tomorrow)
$2,000+ of other perks (courses, premium AI prompts, paid podcast, 50+ curated video lessons)