If you give a guy a model...
What differentiates people who just hear something and people who know what to do as soon as they've heard it?
There are two kinds of people in the world.
(Nothing like starting a post with a blatant binary, am I right?)
People in group A hear a model and think, "Oh, that's nice," or even, "Yeah, but so what?”
People in group B hear the same model and are able to see exactly how applying it can influence their lives. They make a call on whether it's worth adopting and find ways to implement (or not implement) it the same day.
Models in question could be:
“Theres nothing more important than loving the person in front of you."
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
"The solution to all depression is being present. The antidote to all anxiety is being present."
"Give your hardest jobs to the busiest people. They'll get done."
"Work is a rubber ball. Family, health — those are glass."
"If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.”
“I think, therefore I am.”
“Live. Laugh. Love.”
Group A hears the model.
Group B either derives value from the model, or determines the model isn’t useful — either way, it makes a call and implements its call.
What is the trait that differentiates these two groups of people?
My handy well-trained LLM of choice had some ideas worth repeating.
The trait that differentiates Group A (who hear a model and shrug) from Group B (who immediately assess its value and act on it) is a combination of cognitive agility, practical intelligence, and high agency.
Interesting. “High agency” is a term I heard on a podcast recently for the first time (George Mack, I think?), and it resonated with me in the context of what I know is required for someone to stack their lives effectively: self-awareness, intentionality, and accountability.
Here’s my GPT’s breakdown:
Cognitive Agility (or Applied Intelligence)
The ability to immediately connect an abstract idea to real-life scenarios and recognize its utility.
This isn’t just intelligence (IQ); it’s a pragmatic, fluid intelligence that allows people to take a concept and see where it plugs into their own lives.
High Agency
People in Group B see themselves as the primary force in their lives. They assume if something makes sense, they should act on it rather than waiting for external forces.
They are proactive, not passive—if a model is useful, they immediately test it rather than dismissing it.
Conscientiousness + Openness Hybrid
Conscientiousness helps with execution: They will implement ideas because they naturally strive for order, effectiveness, and discipline.
Openness to experience helps with perception: They recognize value in ideas instead of rejecting them outright or failing to see their depth.
Internal Locus of Control
People in Group B believe they have control over their actions and outcomes. When they hear a model that could improve their life, they don’t think, "That’s interesting." They think, "How do I use this?" and they act accordingly.
Group A may have a more external locus of control, thinking ideas are interesting but not necessarily applicable to their immediate reality.
Mental Model Fluency & Pattern Recognition
Group B has likely engaged with mental models before and has a habit of connecting and testing them.
Their minds are trained to quickly map concepts → real-world situations → action steps.
Beautiful. No notes.
Except this didn’t name this trait for us. All it did was provide a bountiful exploration of what this name would have to include.
I have to confess: I already have a word for people who possess this trait.
Stackworthy.
Stackworthy people are able to hear a model and measure its utility in their lives. Stackworthy people are likely stacking part or all of their lives, whether they have the vocabulary of the framework or not. Stackworthy people stack, even if they couldn’t name it and teach it to another person.
But stackworthy people do a lot more than just hear a model and know how it works in their lives. So what’s that trait?
After a continued back and forth with my GPT, we’re going to test this one out: stackworthy people are praxis cognizant.
Praxis is the gap between theory and practice.
Cognizance is about meta-awareness — to be aware or conscious of something.
So this trait we’re making up together right now — to be praxis cognizant — is to be self-aware of how concepts can be applied in reality.
To be stackworthy is to be praxis cognizant — to instinctively bridge abstract ideas into reality. It’s the ability to take a concept, see exactly where it fits (or doesn’t belong) in your life, and act on that knowledge.
If you’re still reading this and feel at all seen, you’re stackworthy.
Welcome.
This is a space where we sharpen each other, where ideas don’t just sit — they move. Let’s grow together.