# First Principles Thinking > **First Principles Thinking** is about confronting reality’s [Constraints](Constraints.md) head-on, stripping [Problems](Problem.md) to their explanatory core. First Principles Thinking (FPT) is based on learning to take something apart, test our assumptions about it, and reconstruct it. This is a great habit to maintain. In order to practice first principles thinking it is helpful to *refrain reasoning by analogy at times*. It is also helpful to remember that a reasoning chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link. FPT at core is a method to build better and deeper understanding. It is [Seeking Good Explanations](We%20Must%20Seek%20Good%20Explanations.md). We start by understanding reality by thinking about what is true (which stems from our best explanations). We drill down to the absolute core of an issue, arriving at a foundation—a set of axioms if you like—that we can use as we build back up to new and interesting solutions. This is fundamentally explanation seeking. ### Approaches 1. [Socratic Questioning](Socratic%20Questioning.md) 2. "The Five Whys" 3. [Take Theories Seriously on Their Own Terms](Take%20Theories%20Seriously%20on%20Their%20Own%20Terms.md) 4. [Good Reasoning](Good%20Reasoning.md) / [Bad Reasoning](Bad%20Reasoning.md) --- Date: 20220103 Links to: [Critical Thinking MOC](Critical%20Thinking%20MOC.md) Tags: References: * Pg 82, Great Mental Models volume 1 * [The Cook and the Chef: Musk's Secret Sauce — Wait But Why](https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/11/the-cook-and-the-chef-musks-secret-sauce.html) (see Elon Musk Blog Series by Tim Urban in Kindle, chapter 4) * [First Principles: The Building Blocks of True Knowledge](https://fs.blog/first-principles/)