What are independence from prior models?

Independence from prior models means you don’t have to follow what others did before, you can make your own choices.

Imagine you and your friends are building a tower with blocks. Each of you has a different way of stacking the blocks. Some build tall and narrow, some wide and short. Now, if you were told you must stack your blocks just like one friend did, that would be following a prior model, their way.

But independence from prior models is like saying: “I can choose how to build my tower!” You don’t have to copy anyone else’s design. You might even try something new, like balancing the blocks on top of each other in a zigzag shape.

This is especially cool when you're solving problems, like figuring out the best way to get from school to home. If your friend takes a long route through the park, and you take a short cut through the grocery store, both ways are good. You didn’t have to follow their path, that’s being independent from prior models.

It’s like having your own map, not just copying someone else's!