Why do some ideas stick and others disappear?
It's not because they're true. It's because they're surprising.
The best frameworks, like the best jokes, work by setting up an expectation and then breaking it in a satisfying way.
The Setup:
A joke begins by leading your mind down one path. You think you know where it's going.
A framework does the same thing. It says: "Let me organize this complexity for you." Your brain prepares for one type of organization.
The Punchline:
The joke suddenly pivots, and you see the situation from a new angle. You laugh because the reframe is unexpected AND it makes sense.
A great framework does this too. It reframes how you see the problem, and suddenly everything clicks into place.
Examples that work like jokes:
- "You're not broken, you're trapped in a system you can't see." (Reframe: It's not a personal failure, it's a system design problem)
- "Problems are facts + stories." (Reframe: Not all of what you're suffering is the actual situation)
- "Decision fatigue is just transfer of energy." (Reframe: You're not weak, you're depleted of a finite resource)
Each of these works because it takes something you think you understand and shows you a different way to see it.