What Is Inversion?

Inversion is a mental model that involves flipping a situation on its head and thinking about it from the opposite perspective. It requires us to consider what we want to avoid instead of focusing solely on what we want to achieve.

The idea of inversion has been found in many disciplines such as mathematics, philosophy, and even chess strategy. In the context of problem-solving and decision-making, it provides a unique way to tackle issues.

Historical Background

The concept of inversion has roots in many traditions. German mathematician Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi was known for saying “invert, always invert” (in Latin, “man muss immer umkehren”), emphasizing the importance of rethinking problems in mathematics.

In the world of investing, Charlie Munger, the business partner of Warren Buffett, often emphasized the importance of inversion. He urged people to think not just about what they wanted but also about what they wanted to avoid.

Applications of Inversion

Problem-Solving: By inverting a problem, we focus on what can go wrong, what we don’t want, or what we should avoid. This allows us to identify potential pitfalls and solutions that may not be apparent when looking at the problem from a conventional perspective.

Decision Making: In business and personal decision-making, inversion helps to minimize risks by considering the worst-case scenarios and preparing for them.

Goal Setting: When setting goals, inversion helps you to think about potential obstacles and how to overcome them. It encourages you to develop a comprehensive strategy that doesn’t only focus on success but also considers failure and how to avoid it.

Advantages of Inversion

• Provides New Insights: By viewing things from a different angle, inversion can reveal insights that might be missed otherwise.
• Reduces Bias: It challenges our typical ways of thinking and helps to counteract confirmation bias, where we tend to seek information that confirms our existing beliefs.
• Enhances Risk Management: By focusing on what to avoid, inversion enhances risk management strategies.

Limitations of Inversion

• May Lead to Pessimism: Overuse of inversion can lead to an overly negative or pessimistic perspective.
• Not a One-Size-Fits-All Solution: It may not be applicable or beneficial in every situation.

How to Apply Inversion in Daily Life

• Define the Problem Clearly: Clearly articulate what you are trying to achieve or avoid.
• Flip It Around: Consider the opposite of what you want. What do you need to avoid? What could go wrong?
• Analyze and Act: Analyze the inverted problem and develop a strategy that considers both what you want to achieve and what you want to avoid.

Examples

Investing: In investing, rather than merely seeking investment opportunities that could yield high returns, one may use inversion to identify what could potentially lead to significant losses. By avoiding these pitfalls, an investor might find a more secure path to achieving their financial goals.

Healthcare: In healthcare, doctors often use inversion to diagnose problems by ruling out what is not causing the symptoms, rather than focusing solely on what might be causing them.

Case Studies

Toyota’s Production System: Toyota’s “5 Whys” technique embodies inversion. Instead of focusing on immediate solutions to problems on the assembly line, workers are encouraged to ask “Why?” five times to get to the root cause. This inverted way of thinking has led to continuous improvement within the company.

Charlie Munger and Berkshire Hathaway: As mentioned earlier, Charlie Munger often emphasizes inversion in his decision-making. He would often consider what could lead to failure or the worst-case scenario before making an investment. This approach has led to more informed and conservative investment decisions, contributing to Berkshire Hathaway’s success.

Quotes

Carl Gustav Jacob Jacobi: “Invert, always invert.” Jacobi’s quote is a succinct encapsulation of the power of inversion in problem-solving.

Charlie Munger: “All I want to know is where I’m going to die so I’ll never go there.” This humorous quote from Munger illustrates his focus on avoiding mistakes rather than just pursuing successes.

References from Books and Literature

“Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger”: This book offers a compilation of Charlie Munger’s speeches, where he frequently touches on the concept of inversion and its application in various domains.

“The Most Important Thing: Uncommon Sense for the Thoughtful Investor” by Howard Marks: Marks explores the concept of inversion in the context of investing. He discusses how thinking about what not to do is as crucial as thinking about what to do.

“Super Thinking: The Big Book of Mental Models” by Gabriel Weinberg and Lauren McCann: The authors dedicate a section to inversion as part of a broad exploration of mental models, providing practical insights into how to apply it in different scenarios.

“Thinking in Systems: A Primer” by Donella H. Meadows: Though not specifically about inversion, this book deals with systems thinking, where inversion plays a role in understanding the dynamics of complex systems.

Inversion plays a significant role in equity investing, offering a unique perspective that aids investors in making more sound and robust investment decisions. Let’s explore how the mental model of inversion is applied in equity investing, including its principles, applications, and specific examples.

1. Identifying Risks and Pitfalls

Investors commonly focus on the potential upside of an investment opportunity, assessing the growth prospects, and forecasting possible returns. Inversion, on the other hand, prompts investors to also consider the potential downside. By flipping the problem on its head and concentrating on what could go wrong, investors identify the risks that could lead to losses, thus creating a more comprehensive risk profile.

2. Enhancing Due Diligence

Inversion assists investors in conducting thorough due diligence. Instead of merely seeking reasons to invest in a particular stock or sector, they also search for reasons why they shouldn’t. By asking questions such as, “What could cause this investment to fail?” or “What are the worst-case scenarios?” they unearth potential red flags that might be overlooked otherwise.

3. Mitigating Behavioral Biases

Behavioral biases like overconfidence and confirmation bias often lead investors to make suboptimal decisions. Inversion helps in mitigating these biases by forcing investors to consider viewpoints that contradict their initial beliefs or desires. This approach leads to more balanced decision-making, less influenced by emotions or preconceived notions.

4. Portfolio Construction and Diversification

Inversion can also be a useful tool in portfolio construction. By thinking about what could lead to a significant loss in a portfolio, investors can create diversification strategies to mitigate those risks. This thinking may lead to a more balanced portfolio that isn’t overly exposed to a particular sector, asset class, or individual stock.

5. Strategic Planning

Investors and fund managers may use inversion in long-term strategic planning. By considering what they must avoid to prevent failure, they can formulate strategies that are resilient to market downturns, changes in economic conditions, or shifts in industry dynamics.

Examples in Equity Investing

• Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger: The investment strategies of Berkshire Hathaway often utilize inversion. By focusing on the preservation of capital and understanding what could lead to a permanent loss of capital, they have managed to steer clear of investments that don’t align with their strict criteria.
• Howard Marks: The co-founder of Oaktree Capital Management, Howard Marks, emphasizes inversion by considering the possible negative outcomes before making investment decisions. His focus on risk control, rather than merely chasing returns, has contributed to his success as an investor.

Inversion in equity investing is a contrarian approach that emphasizes understanding and managing risks, rather than just seeking profits. It involves a thorough analysis of what could go wrong and leads to more careful and balanced investment decisions.

By forcing investors to step out of their comfort zones and think about potential failures and losses, inversion fosters a more holistic view of investment opportunities. This mental model has been utilized by some of the most successful investors and continues to be a valuable tool for equity investors at all levels.

By adopting inversion, investors can potentially reduce risks, uncover hidden pitfalls, create more resilient portfolios, and ultimately contribute to better investment performance. It represents a prudent, forward-thinking approach that recognizes the complexity and uncertainty inherent in equity markets.

Conclusion

The mental model of inversion is a robust tool that encourages us to think differently about problems and decisions. Focusing on what we want to avoid as well as what we want to achieve, it offers a more rounded perspective that can lead to smarter choices and more effective problem-solving. While not without its limitations, it is a valuable addition to anyone’s cognitive toolkit, offering a complementary perspective to conventional thinking.