Claude Code Thinking Skills
39 Mental Models and Frameworks for Critical Thinking in Claude Code
A comprehensive collection of thinking skills for Claude Code that enhance AI-assisted problem solving, decision making, and strategic analysis. These skills provide structured frameworks based on proven mental models from leaders in systems thinking, cognitive science, and strategic analysis.
Features
- 39 Thinking Frameworks - Comprehensive mental models for better decision-making
- Battle-Tested - Based on proven frameworks from cognitive science and systems thinking
- Claude Code Native - Designed specifically for Claude Code's skill system
- Quality Scripts - Tools to validate and enhance skill quality
- Zero Configuration - Just install and invoke with skill names
Quick Start
Installation via Plugin Marketplace (Recommended)
Install directly in Claude Code using the plugin system:
# Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills
# Install the plugin
/plugin install thinking-skills@thinking-skills-marketplace
Alternative: Manual Installation
Clone and copy skills directly:
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills.git
# Copy skills to your global Claude Code config
cp -r cc-thinking-skills/skills/* ~/.claude/skills/
# Or copy to a specific project
cp -r cc-thinking-skills/skills/* /path/to/your/project/.claude/skills/
Development: Load as Local Plugin
For testing or development:
claude --plugin-dir ./cc-thinking-skills
Usage
Once installed, invoke any skill by name in Claude Code:
> Use first-principles thinking to analyze this architecture decision
> Apply the pre-mortem framework to this project plan
> Help me use Bayesian reasoning to evaluate this hypothesis
> Use the theory of constraints to find our bottleneck
Available Skills
Decision Making & Analysis
| Skill | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
thinking-first-principles | Break problems into fundamental truths | Innovation, challenging assumptions |
thinking-second-order | Think beyond immediate consequences | Strategic decisions, policy changes |
thinking-inversion | Approach problems by identifying paths to failure | Risk identification, planning |
thinking-pre-mortem | Imagine failure and work backward | Project kickoffs, risk assessment |
thinking-kepner-tregoe | Systematic rational process for complex analysis | High-stakes decisions, root cause analysis |
thinking-reversibility | Classify decisions by reversibility (Type 1/2) | Commitment sizing, risk assessment |
thinking-regret-minimization | Project to future self to test decisions | Career choices, major life decisions |
thinking-opportunity-cost | Evaluate choices by what you give up | Resource allocation, prioritization |
Cognitive & Behavioral
| Skill | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
thinking-bayesian | Update beliefs based on evidence | Probability estimation, uncertainty |
thinking-debiasing | Identify and counteract cognitive biases | Major decisions, high stakes |
thinking-dual-process | Recognize when to trust intuition vs. analysis | Speed vs. accuracy tradeoffs |
thinking-bounded-rationality | Make good-enough decisions under constraints | Time pressure, satisficing |
thinking-socratic | Systematic questioning framework | Requirements, debugging, coaching |
thinking-probabilistic | Calibrated probability estimation | Forecasting, uncertainty quantification |
thinking-steel-manning | Argue the strongest opposing position | Debate, decision validation |