Scientific Definition
Every model simplifies reality; some are still useful.
Plain-English Definition
Every model simplifies reality; some are still useful.
Feynman Explanation
A map is not the territory, but it beats wandering blind.
Core Principle
Every model simplifies reality; some are still useful.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Every model simplifies reality; some are still useful.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The best model is the one you remember to update.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
A map is not the territory, but it beats wandering blind.
Examples
- Financial models are always wrong, yet they are still better than gut-only investing.
- The best model is the one you remember to update.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Label each model's known simplifications before using it.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Label each model's known simplifications before using it.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Deriving general rules from specific examples; the leap from instance to concept.
The brain evolved to reason adaptively, not always truthfully, to reduce the cost of errors.
We solve problems by adding, even when subtracting would be better.
Assuming that if one option is true, another must be false, when both can be true.
Presuming a purposeful actor behind events that may have no actor at all.
What cannot be settled by experiment is not worth debating.
A finite set of well-defined instructions for solving a problem or performing a computation.
Researchers favor conclusions aligned with their school, team, or sponsor.
Using personal stories or isolated examples instead of evidence.
Claiming something is true or better because most people believe it.
Assuming something is true because it is probable or possible.
Using an authority's opinion as evidence, regardless of its merits.