Scientific Definition
Reasoning backward from outcomes to motives.
Plain-English Definition
Reasoning backward from outcomes to motives.
Feynman Explanation
It worked, therefore that must have been the plan.
Core Principle
Reasoning backward from outcomes to motives.
Mechanisms
Reasoning backward from outcomes to motives.
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Inputs (Triggers)
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Outputs (Behaviors)
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Behavioral Signature
It worked, therefore that must have been the plan.
Examples
- Post-hoc rationalization of luck as strategy.
- Mythology replaces decision review.
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Famous Experiments
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Design Principles
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Measurement Approaches
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Evidence
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The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
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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.
If A then B; B happened; therefore A.
Treating two things that move together as one causing the other.
With this, therefore because of this.
If A then B; not A; therefore not B.
Stacking so many tenuous links that the conclusion sounds clever.
B followed A, therefore A caused B.
Assuming one cause where many are at play.
A small step inevitably leads to extreme consequences.
Small step → catastrophic outcome, without the intermediate causal links.
I can't believe it; therefore it isn't true.
n=1 generalized to n=everyone.
Saying it enough times until it sounds true.