39 Mental Models and Frameworks for Critical Thinking
A comprehensive collection of thinking skills for Cursor Agent that enhance AI-assisted problem solving, decision making, and strategic analysis. These skills provide structured frameworks based on proven mental models from cognitive science, systems thinking, and strategic analysis.
Converted from cc-thinking-skills (Claude Code plugin) to a local Cursor plugin using the cursor-plugin boilerplate.
- 39 thinking frameworks — mental models for better decision-making
- Battle-tested — frameworks from cognitive science and systems thinking
- Cursor-native — skills load via the local plugin system; invoke by name in Agent chat
- Quality scripts — validate and improve skill documentation
- Zero configuration — install, reload window, start using skill names
From this directory:
cd thinking-skills
chmod +x scripts/*.sh
./scripts/install-to-cursor.shThen in Cursor:
- Developer: Reload Window
- Settings → Plugins — verify Thinking Skills is listed
- Settings → Rules → Agent Decides — confirm skills appear
Cursor ignores symlinked local plugins. Always use install-to-cursor.sh (rsync copy into ~/.cursor/plugins/local/).
Copy skill folders into a project or global skills path:
# Project-scoped (example)
cp -r skills/thinking-* /path/to/your/project/.cursor/skills/
# Or clone upstream and copy
git clone https://github.com/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills.git
cp -r cc-thinking-skills/skills/* ~/.cursor/skills/If you use Claude Code instead of this Cursor port, install from the original marketplace:
/plugin marketplace add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills
/plugin install thinking-skills@thinking-skills-marketplaceSee cc-thinking-skills README for Claude Code–specific options.
Invoke any skill by name in Agent chat. Prefix with thinking- (Cursor skill ids):
Use thinking-first-principles to analyze this architecture decision
Apply thinking-pre-mortem to this project plan
Help me use thinking-bayesian to evaluate this hypothesis
Use thinking-theory-of-constraints to find our bottleneck
Start here: thinking-model-router — routes to the right mental model by domain and problem type.
| Situation | Skill to try |
|---|---|
| New problem, unsure which framework | thinking-model-router |
| High-stakes decision | thinking-pre-mortem, thinking-debiasing |
| Complex system / cascading bugs | thinking-systems, thinking-feedback-loops |
| Performance bottleneck | thinking-theory-of-constraints |
| Uncertain estimates | thinking-bayesian, thinking-fermi-estimation |
| Skill | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
thinking-first-principles |
Break problems into fundamental truths | Innovation, challenging assumptions |
thinking-second-order |
Think beyond immediate consequences | Strategic decisions, policy changes |
thinking-inversion |
Identify paths to failure | Risk identification, planning |
thinking-pre-mortem |
Imagine failure and work backward | Project kickoffs, risk assessment |
thinking-kepner-tregoe |
Systematic rational process for complex analysis | High-stakes decisions, root cause |
thinking-reversibility |
Classify decisions by reversibility (Type 1/2) | Commitment sizing, risk assessment |
thinking-regret-minimization |
Project to future self to test decisions | Career choices, major life decisions |
thinking-opportunity-cost |
Evaluate choices by what you give up | Resource allocation, prioritization |
| Skill | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
thinking-bayesian |
Update beliefs based on evidence | Probability estimation, uncertainty |
thinking-debiasing |
Counteract cognitive biases | Major decisions, high stakes |
thinking-dual-process |
Intuition vs. analysis tradeoffs | Speed vs. accuracy |
thinking-bounded-rationality |
Good-enough decisions under constraints | Time pressure, satisficing |
thinking-socratic |
Systematic questioning | Requirements, debugging, coaching |
thinking-probabilistic |
Calibrated probability estimation | Forecasting, uncertainty |
thinking-steel-manning |
Strongest opposing position | Debate, decision validation |
| Skill | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
thinking-systems |
Interconnected systems analysis | Complex debugging, architecture |
thinking-feedback-loops |
Reinforcing and balancing loops | Growth design, org dynamics |
thinking-archetypes |
Recurring system patterns | Organizational problems |
thinking-ooda |
Rapid decision-making | Incident response, competitive scenarios |
thinking-leverage-points |
Small changes, big effects | System optimization |
thinking-theory-of-constraints |
Identify and manage bottlenecks | Performance, throughput |
thinking-cynefin |
Classify problems by complexity domain | Methodology selection |
| Skill | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
thinking-occams-razor |
Prefer simpler explanations | Debugging, architecture |
thinking-map-territory |
Limits of mental models | Expectation mismatches |
thinking-circle-of-competence |
Boundaries of expertise | Delegation, learning |
thinking-triz |
Resolve technical contradictions | Engineering design, innovation |
thinking-five-whys-plus |
Root cause with bias guards | Debugging, postmortems |
thinking-scientific-method |
Hypothesis-driven investigation | A/B testing, experimentation |
thinking-thought-experiment |
Structured imagination | Architecture, edge cases |
| Skill | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
thinking-fermi-estimation |
Order-of-magnitude calculations | Quick sizing, feasibility |
thinking-margin-of-safety |
Buffers for uncertainty | Risk management, system design |
thinking-lindy-effect |
Older things likely to last longer | Technology selection |
thinking-via-negativa |
Improve by removing | Simplification, robustness |
thinking-red-team |
Attack your own plans | Security review, plan validation |
| Skill | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
thinking-jobs-to-be-done |
Job customers hire products for | Product development, features |
thinking-effectuation |
Start with means, not goals | Startups, uncertainty |
| Skill | Description | Best for |
|---|---|---|
thinking-model-router |
START HERE — route by domain | Entry point for all skills |
thinking-model-selection |
Choose the right model | New problems |
thinking-model-combination |
Combine multiple models | Complex, high-stakes problems |
Strip away assumptions to reveal fundamental truths, then rebuild from basics.
When to use: conventional approaches failed; told something is "impossible"; need innovation, not incremental change.
Update beliefs systematically based on new evidence.
When to use: estimating probabilities; interpreting metrics; decisions with incomplete information.
View problems as interconnected wholes with feedback loops and emergent behavior.
When to use: debugging spans components; fixes in one place break another; emergent behavior.
Every system has one constraint limiting throughput. Optimizing elsewhere wastes effort.
When to use: performance optimization, process improvement, resource allocation.
Classify problems: Clear, Complicated, Complex, or Chaotic — each needs a different approach.
When to use: choosing methodologies; understanding why approaches fail; crisis management.
Customers hire products to do jobs. Understanding the job unlocks innovation.
When to use: product development, feature prioritization, customer behavior.
Attack your own plans before adversaries do.
When to use: security review, pre-launch preparation, plan stress-testing.
- Output → Cursor Plugins:
loadUserLocalPlugins (... N plugins loaded) - Settings → Plugins → Thinking Skills card visible
- Settings → Rules → Agent Decides → skills listed
Scripts from the upstream repo (run from this directory):
node scripts/validate-skills.js
node scripts/enhance-skill.js thinking-first-principles
node scripts/generate-improvement-prompt.js thinking-bayesianvalidate-skills.js reports required sections, quality metrics, and scores per skill.
After editing skills or plugin.json:
./scripts/install-to-cursor.sh
# Developer: Reload WindowSkill files live in skills/thinking-*/SKILL.md. Each skill should include: overview, when to use, step-by-step process, examples, template, checklist, key questions. See CONTRIBUTING.md.
- cc-thinking-skills (upstream)
- cursor-plugin boilerplate
- Thinking in Systems — Donella Meadows
- Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman
- The Goal — Eliyahu Goldratt
MIT — see LICENSE. Original collection by TJ Boudreaux.