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The Incentives Lab
HBT-COG-0043 · Dimension COG · Cognition

Appeal to Consequences

Believing something is true because of the consequences of its truth.

Relevance Fallacy·Logical Fallacy·Grade B·stub· enriching…

Scientific Definition

Believing something is true because of the consequences of its truth.

Plain-English Definition

Believing something is true because of the consequences of its truth.

Feynman Explanation

If it were true we'd have to act, so let's agree it isn't.

Core Principle

Believing something is true because of the consequences of its truth.

Mechanisms

Psychological

Believing something is true because of the consequences of its truth.

Behavioral Economic

Pending editorial review.

Neurological

Pending editorial review.

Evolutionary

Pending editorial review.

Sociological

Pending editorial review.

Computational

Pending editorial review.

Systems

Pending editorial review.

Inputs (Triggers)

Pending editorial review.

Outputs (Behaviors)

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Signature

If it were true we'd have to act, so let's agree it isn't.

Examples

Everyday
  • Dismissing risks because acknowledging them would force expensive change.
Modern (Organizational)
  • Boards quietly engineering their own blind spots.
Historical

Pending editorial review.

Famous Experiments

Pending editorial review.

Design Principles

Pending editorial review.

Measurement Approaches

Pending editorial review.

Evidence

Evidence Grade
B (A strongest → E speculative)
Replication
★★★☆☆
Intervention Confidence
3 / 5
Consensus
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Limitations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Open Research Questions

Pending editorial review.

Primary References

Pending editorial review.

Signature Section

The Perverse Incentive Lens™

How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.

Exploitation
Boards quietly engineering their own blind spots.
Amplifying Incentives
Boards quietly engineering their own blind spots.
Org Failure Modes
Boards quietly engineering their own blind spots.
Societal Failure Modes
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Ethical Considerations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Redesign Strategies
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Diagnostic Questions

Pending editorial review.

Warning Signs

Pending editorial review.

Red Flags

Pending editorial review.

Intervention Playbook
Individual
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Team
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Organization
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Policy
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
AI Implications
Detection
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Measurement
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Mitigation
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Responsible Use
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).

Interactive Mini Network

Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.

HBT-COG-0043 · COG
Appeal to Consequences
ATAHAd HominemATAppeal to AuthorityATAppeal to Common SenseATAppeal to IgnoranceATAppeal to NatureATAppeal to NoveltyATAppeal to TraditionAFArgument from Incred…AFArgument from Repeti…BFBandwagon Fallacy

Knowledge Graph Neighbors

Version History

v1.1.0 · 2026-06-28Initial auto-seed from corpus.