Lattice — Mental Models Engine
Apply Charlie Munger's latticework of 98 mental models to any problem.
Commands
Recommend models (fast, no LLM)
lattice suggest "<situation>"
lattice suggest "<situation>" --count 10
lattice suggest "<situation>" --json
Use when user asks "what framework should I use" or "help me think about X". Returns top models with relevance explanation.
Think through a problem (applies models)
lattice think "<problem>" # top 3 models, with LLM synthesis
lattice think "<problem>" --no-llm # instant, static steps only
lattice think "<problem>" --models inversion,bottlenecks # force specific models
lattice think "<problem>" --json # structured output
Apply a specific model
lattice apply <slug> "<context>" # with LLM synthesis
lattice apply <slug> "<context>" --no-llm # static thinking steps
Search and browse
lattice search "<keyword>"
lattice list
lattice list --category "Economics"
lattice info <slug>
lattice info <slug> --json
Add custom models
lattice add "Network Effects"
lattice add "Lindy Effect" --from "https://fs.blog/lindy-effect/"
Remove user-added models
lattice remove <slug> # only works on ~/.config/lattice/models/ files
Record a decision
lattice decide "<decision>" # guided: models + thinking + prediction prompt
lattice decide "<decision>" --quick # skip thinking, just prediction
lattice decide "<decision>" --prediction "expected" # inline prediction
lattice decide "<decision>" --project # save to ./decisions/ (ADR-style)
lattice decide "<decision>" --models inversion,trade-offs # force models
Use when user says "I need to decide", "record this decision", "help me think through this choice", or "track this decision".
View decision journal
lattice journal # recent 20 decisions
lattice journal --due # decisions due for review
lattice journal --all # all decisions
lattice journal --project # read from ./decisions/
lattice journal --json # structured output
lattice journal review <id> # review a past decision, record outcome
Model Categories (98 total)
- General Thinking Tools (m01-m09): First principles, inversion, second-order thinking, probabilistic thinking, Occam's razor
- Physics/Chemistry/Biology (m10-m29): Leverage, inertia, feedback loops, ecosystems, evolution, activation energy
- Systems Thinking (m30-m40): Bottlenecks, scale, margin of safety, emergence, network effects
- Mathematics (m41-m47): Randomness, regression to mean, surface area, local vs global maxima
- Economics (m48-m59): Trade-offs, scarcity, creative destruction, supply & demand, efficiency
- Art (m60-m70): Framing, audience, contrast, rhythm, narrative
- Strategy/Warfare (m71-m75): Asymmetric warfare, seeing the front, mutually assured destruction
- Human Nature & Judgment (m76-m98): Cognitive biases, incentives, social proof, confirmation bias, denial
Common Patterns
User says "help me decide" → lattice decide "<their decision>"
User says "record this decision" → lattice decide "<decision>" --quick
User asks "what decisions are due" → lattice journal --due
User mentions a model by name → lattice apply <slug> "<context>"
User asks "think through X" → lattice think "<X>"
User asks "what biases am I missing" → lattice search "bias" then apply relevant ones
User wants to browse → lattice list or lattice list --category "Human Nature & Judgment"
Ecosystem Integration
Lattice works standalone and also integrates with:
- multiplan — auto-injects Phase 0 mental model framing before parallel planning
- content-breakdown —
--thinkflag appends model analysis;mental-modelslens available
Output
All commands support --json for structured output. Use --no-llm for instant results without API calls.