The source, an excerpt from "Model Thinking," explores the concept of multi-model thinking as a crucial approach to understanding the world. It posits that individual models, which are essentially abstractions of experience like proverbs or scientific laws, are inherently limited by their specific conditions and cannot fully explain complex realities. The text introduces multi-model thinking as the highest level of cognitive ability, enabling individuals to switch between different models based on varying circumstances. It illustrates this through examples like forest fire management, highlighting how a single, inflexible approach can lead to unforeseen negative consequences. The excerpt also discusses various practical models, such as normal and power law distributions for resource allocation and risk management, the Shapley value for assessing individual contributions in a team, and the network model for identifying key influencers or problem points. Ultimately, the source argues that correctly applying the appropriate model is more fundamental than just having effective methods, emphasizing that a mismatch in underlying models can lead to undesirable outcomes despite proper execution.