The Cabrera Lab Podcast

#97: What Can Systems Thinkers Do That Others Can’t?

Get 20% off any STSI course with code SYSTEMS20 — start building your mental fitness today! In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University tackle a deceptively simple question they were asked at a social event: “What can you do that other people can’t do if you’re a systems thinker?” Their answer is grounded in research, not hype. They break down the stunning cognitive law showing that most people rely on only 20% of the mental structures reality is made of, leaving 75% of the world unseen, unprocessed, and un-understood. Using the science of DSRP, the Love-Reality Loop, Pareto patterns, and validated cognitive data, they explain how systems thinkers literally see more of reality, organize information more accurately, and make better decisions with less overwhelm. They also discuss why nature doesn’t care about your mental blind spots, how to train the Six Moves to increase problem-solving performance by up to 550%, and why the alignment between your mental models and reality is the true definition of oneness. This episode goes deep, but stays practical — showing exactly what you gain when you learn to think systemically in a world that urgently needs more systems thinkers.

#96: Think It Through: The Hidden Cost of Always Doing What You’re Told

Get 20% off any STSI course with code THINKITTHROUGH20 — start building your mental fitness today! In this Think It Through episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University break down a problem facing kids, college students, and professionals alike: what do you do when you do exceptional work—but the system only rewards strict compliance? Using a real classroom story, workplace examples, and a surprisingly accurate metaphor involving “shit sliders,” they unpack how tiny acts of compliance—made over and over again—build up delayed psychological costs that shape your identity, agency, and long-term trajectory. They explore why humans struggle with delay, how micro-choices create macro-outcomes, and why awareness—not rebellion—is the key to navigating bureaucratic systems without becoming a compliant, dimmed-down version of yourself. If you’ve ever wondered when to play by the rules and when to push the envelope, this episode gives you the mental model to think it through—and choose wisely.

#95: Think It Through: Teaching Your Kids to Love Reality

Get 25% off any STSI course with code THANKS25 - Happy Thanksgiving! In this Think It Through episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University tackle a listener’s real-life parenting dilemma: a 10-year-old boy terrified of monsters lurking in his house. What begins as a bedtime fear unfolds into a profound lesson on mental models, evidence, and how we teach kids to tell what’s real from what’s imagined. Through the lens of systems thinking, the Cabreras show how fears—childhood or adult—emerge from the mental models we create about the world, and how those beliefs drive our emotions and behaviors. They share practical tools parents can use to help kids test their thinking against reality, build evidence-based confidence, and ultimately develop the lifelong skill of thinking clearly under fear. What starts as a monster problem becomes a masterclass in how to raise resilient, reality-loving thinkers in an age of misinformation and AI.

#94: Fast. Right. Adaptive. The Power of Practicing Is/Is Not List

Get 15% off any STSI course with code THINK15 — start training your brain today! In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University explore one of the simplest—but most profound—thinking skills: drawing the boundary between what something is and what it is not. They unpack how this move, called Is/Is Not List, sits at the core of systems thinking and shows up in everything from team communication to personal growth. From construct validity in science to everyday misunderstandings, the Cabreras explain why most confusion, conflict, and wasted effort come from failing to define boundaries clearly. With practical examples, from workplace misalignment to leadership clarity, they demonstrate how making distinctions transforms thinking from slow and fuzzy to fast and right. Simple doesn’t mean shallow—this episode proves that mastering the basics is the key to mastery itself.

#93: O-Based Education: How to Build Smarter, Freer, More Adaptive Humans

Get 15% off any systems thinking course with code ST-15 - become a professional systems thinker today: https://www.stsi.pro/category/credential In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University revisit two of their most powerful ideas about the future of education: “We teach humans, not subjects,” and “What if we taught thinking through content, not content through thinking?” They explain how O-based education—rooted in the DSRP patterns of thought and the Love Reality Loop—can transform learning by putting the focus on how students think, not just what they know. Instead of cramming kids with facts that quickly become outdated, O-based learning trains students to build mental models that adapt to reality, preparing them for an unpredictable world filled with misinformation, technology, and change. From the classroom to AI to the dinner table, this episode explores what it really means to teach humans how to think, discern, and grow. It’s a bold new vision for education—one that prepares students for life, not just tests.