Learn the simple phrases high-level thinkers use to spot assumptions, compare options, and make better calls this week.
High-level thinking isn’t about sounding smart.
It’s about creating clarity fast—and helping other people think better alongside you.
These phrases do that. They cut noise, surface signal, and move a conversation from vibes to decisions.
Let’s get into it.
1. Help me understand
Curiosity beats certainty.
When you lead with “Help me understand,” you drop the shield and pick up a flashlight.
It invites more data, and it lowers defenses.
I used this line with a product lead who was pushing a timeline I thought was unrealistic.
Instead of arguing, I asked for a walkthrough.
Ten minutes later, I’d spotted a hidden constraint I would’ve missed if I’d started with a rebuttal.
High-level thinkers know understanding isn’t agreement; it’s the runway to it.
2. Define the problem
What problem are we actually trying to solve?
If you can’t answer that in one sentence, you don’t have a conversation—you have a fog machine.
On a recent volunteer project, people were debating logos.
A quick “Define the problem” reframed the whole thing: we weren’t choosing a logo; we were trying to reduce sign-up friction.
Different problem, different solution.
Say this early.
It saves hours.
3. Surface assumptions
Assumptions run the show from backstage.
Bring them to the front.
I like to ask, “What would have to be true for this plan to work?”
As noted by Daniel Kahneman, our brains default to “what you see is all there is”; naming assumptions breaks that spell.
When you list the hidden bets, you can test them, rank them, or abandon the shaky ones without ego.
4. Check the base rate
“Is this typical for situations like this?”
That single question pulls you out of the anecdote and into the reference class.
As Carl Sagan put it, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”—and base rates are part of that evidence.
Planning a content launch, I asked for base rates on organic reach in our niche.
The numbers were humbling—and helpful.
We adjusted targets, chose a different channel mix, and hit the revised goal without burning out the team.
5. Compare alternatives
Compared to what?
Ideas feel brilliant in a vacuum.
Set them next to two or three credible alternatives and you’ll see real edges.
When friends ask about going fully plant-based, I never say “Do it” or “Don’t.”
I stack options: flexitarian for 30 days, weekday vegan, or full switch with a meal kit.
Then we compare cost, effort, and joy.
Options create perspective.
Perspective creates better choices.
6. Reversible vs irreversible decisions
Treat choices like doors.
Some are two-way (easy to reverse).
Some are one-way (hard to unwind).
Jeff Bezos popularized this distinction: many decisions are reversible and should be made fast by small teams; a few are not and deserve more care.
If you name the door type before you decide, you calibrate the speed, the stakes, and the process.
Most arguments disappear once everyone agrees on which door we’re touching.
7. Second-order effects
Then what?
And after that?
High-level thinkers play the movie one scene further.
I once consulted for a startup eager to slash prices to juice growth.
The first-order effect was obvious: more sign-ups.
The second-order effect wasn’t: our support tickets doubled, NPS plunged, and paid churn spiked three months later.
Asking for second-order effects would have changed the launch plan—same ambition, fewer avoidable headaches.
8. Change-my-mind test
What would change your mind?
If the other person can’t answer, you’re not in a conversation; you’re in a contest.
This line does two things.
It sets a standard for evidence, and it models intellectual honesty—you should offer your own change triggers too.
I’ve mentioned this before, but I keep a short “disconfirm me” list on big calls: if X happens, I pivot.
That habit keeps me from doubling down on a bad take just because I said it out loud.
9. Simplest thing that could work
Complexity is seductive.
It also breaks.
Ask, “What’s the simplest thing that could work?” and watch the room relax.
The statistician George Box said, “All models are wrong, but some are useful.”
The simplest useful thing is the right starting point.
When I was redesigning my personal portfolio site, I scrapped the CMS debate and shipped a single-page version in a weekend.
It wasn’t perfect.
It was proof.
And proof creates momentum.
10. Define “good”
What does good look like?
Until you name criteria, you’re trading opinions.
In a team debrief, I’ll pin us down: “Good equals response time under two hours, zero escalations, and a clear follow-up.”
Suddenly we can measure, not argue.
This works in everyday life too.
Planning a trip with friends, “good” became walkable food, two hours of solo time daily, and no flights before 10 a.m.
Clear beats clever.
11. Facts vs stories
Let’s separate facts from stories.
Facts are observations; stories are the meaning we add.
Both matter, but mixing them creates drama.
I used this at a dinner where someone said a mutual friend “doesn’t care about us anymore.”
We separated the two.
Facts: three canceled plans, two short texts.
Story: “doesn’t care.”
Once we saw the difference, someone called to check in instead of writing a eulogy for the friendship.
Conversations get kinder when you untangle what happened from what it means.
12. Test this week
Talking is the pregame.
“Test this week” moves you to the field.
I use this line to kill the fantasy that we need perfect information before we act.
We don’t.
We need a small experiment.
Run a seven-day version.
Put $100 behind the ad.
Prototype the welcome email with 20 readers.
Behavior creates data.
Data creates decisions.
This is backed by experts like behavioral scientist Katy Milkman, who has noted that structured “fresh starts” and small, timely interventions often beat giant plans when it comes to real change.
One more thing
Phrases aren’t scripts to memorize.
They’re gears.
You use them to shift the conversation into a better lane.
A few quick ways to make them natural:
-
Pair the phrase with a concrete follow-up.
“Define the problem” + “In one sentence.”
“Test this week” + “What’s the smallest version?” -
Ask for consent before the heavier ones.
“Can we separate facts from stories for a second?” lands softer than a blunt correction. -
Offer your answer first when it helps model the move.
“What assumptions am I making? Here are two.” -
Keep them short.
If a phrase takes a paragraph to explain, it’s not a phrase—it’s a lecture.
I’m a fan of tools you can carry in your pocket.
These fit.
They’re simple enough to use at brunch and strong enough to use in a boardroom.
Pick one or two and try them this week.
Which one will you reach for first—“Help me understand,” “Define the problem,” or “Test this week”?
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