Scientific Definition
Whoever makes the positive claim carries the obligation to support it. Absence of disproof isn't proof.
Plain-English Definition
Whoever makes the positive claim carries the obligation to support it. Absence of disproof isn't proof.
Feynman Explanation
Russell's teapot still orbits between Earth and Mars. Prove it doesn't.
Core Principle
Whoever makes the positive claim carries the obligation to support it. Absence of disproof isn't proof.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Whoever makes the positive claim carries the obligation to support it. Absence of disproof isn't proof.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Strategy debates that drift into 'prove it won't work' have already lost the burden game.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Russell's teapot still orbits between Earth and Mars. Prove it doesn't.
Examples
- Standard tool in The Philosopher's Toolkit and any rigorous critical-thinking text.
- Strategy debates that drift into 'prove it won't work' have already lost the burden game.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Make the proponent meet the burden — falsifiable prediction, success criteria, deadline.
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.
- Make the proponent meet the burden — falsifiable prediction, success criteria, deadline.
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.
Treating one kind of thing as if it belonged to a different ontological category.
Justified true belief isn't always knowledge — luck can produce true beliefs from defective reasoning.
You can't derive an 'ought' (value claim) from an 'is' (factual claim) without a smuggled premise.
If P then Q. P. Therefore Q. The most basic valid inference move in formal logic.
If P then Q. Not Q. Therefore not P. The logic behind every falsification test.
Necessary = required for X. Sufficient = enough on its own for X. Conflating them is a common error.
Assume the opposite of what you want to prove. Derive a contradiction. The opposite must be false.
A quick fix relieves the symptom but atrophies the system's capacity to address the real cause.
How will I feel about this in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years?
Basics first (health/finances), then depth (mastery/impact), then altruism (widening circle).
A group decides on a course of action that nobody actually wants, because everyone assumes others prefer it.
Inattention or forgetfulness caused by low attention, hyperfocus, or distraction.