── ── Mental model
Nine-Level Cognitive Tower
The Nine-Level Cognitive Tower (九层塔) disaggregates cognitive development into nine distinct operating levels, each with observable behavioral signatures. The framework's value is diagnostic: it is easier to design the right next step when you can name exactly where you are and what the adjacent level looks like.
How it works
Output artifact: Level Assessment Card + 30-Day Experiment Design
1. Write behavioral indicators for all 9 levels in your domain. For each level, write 2-3 concrete behaviors IN YOUR SPECIFIC DOMAIN. Generic descriptions allow self-flattery; domain-specific descriptions force honesty. Gate: you cannot proceed to Step 2 until you have written at least 2 behavioral indicators per level for your domain.
2. Self-assess your current operating level with specific evidence. For each of the past 10 decisions or work products, mark which level it exemplifies. Your actual level is where your median work lands, not your best day. Gate: you must have at least 5 specific examples, not a general impression.
When to use it
- user says 'how do I level up my thinking', 'why do I keep copying others', 'I don't know what I don't know', 'how do I develop independent judgment', or their reasoning shows systematic deference to authority, inability to form original views, or frustration at being stuck at the same thinking level for years
When not to use it
When the decision is routine and reversible, applying a formal method costs more than it returns.
Worked example
Benjamin Franklin's 13-Virtue Program (1726-1790)
Benjamin Franklin designed one of the most documented personal cognitive development programs in history. His Autobiography describes a systematic progression through what maps directly onto the tower levels.
Install this skill (free, MIT)
npx skills add deciqAI/knowledge-skills