ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

mental models

A mental model is like a map in your head. It helps you understand how certain things work, by showing you how different parts of the world around you fit together. For example, if you wanted to understand how a car works, you might create a mental model of all the different parts of a car and how they interact with each other. This would help you understand how a car works and why certain things happen.