Skip to main content
The Incentives Lab
HBT-COG-0456 · Dimension COG · Cognition

Map vs. Territory

Models are simplifications — never the thing itself.

Reasoning·Mental Model·Grade B·draft· enriching…

Scientific Definition

Models are simplifications — never the thing itself.

Plain-English Definition

Models are simplifications — never the thing itself.

Feynman Explanation

The strategy deck is not the strategy. The dashboard is not the business.

Core Principle

Models are simplifications — never the thing itself.

Mechanisms

Psychological

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Economic

Models are simplifications — never the thing itself.

Neurological

Pending editorial review.

Evolutionary

Pending editorial review.

Sociological

Pending editorial review.

Computational

Pending editorial review.

Systems

Refusing to mistake the strategy deck for the business.

Inputs (Triggers)

Pending editorial review.

Outputs (Behaviors)

Pending editorial review.

Behavioral Signature

The strategy deck is not the strategy. The dashboard is not the business.

Examples

Everyday
  • GPS is useful until you drive into a river.
Modern (Organizational)
  • Refusing to mistake the strategy deck for the business.
Historical

Pending editorial review.

Famous Experiments

Pending editorial review.

Design Principles

  • Pair every model with the question: 'What is this model not capturing?'

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
Refusing to mistake the strategy deck for the business.
Amplifying Incentives
Refusing to mistake the strategy deck for the business.
Org Failure Modes
Refusing to mistake the strategy deck for the business.
Societal Failure Modes
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Ethical Considerations
Pending editorial review (HBT v1.0 auto-seed).
Redesign Strategies
Pair every model with the question: 'What is this model not capturing?'
Diagnostic Questions
  • Pair every model with the question: 'What is this model not capturing?'
Warning Signs

Pending editorial review.

Red Flags

Pending editorial review.

Intervention Playbook
Individual
Pair every model with the question: 'What is this model not capturing?'
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-0456 · COG
Map vs. Territory
MVAbAbstractionsABAdaptive BiasABAdditive BiasAAAffirming a DisjunctADAgent DetectionARAlder's RazorAlAlgorithmsAMAll Models Are WrongABAllegiance BiasAFAnecdotal Fallacy

Knowledge Graph Neighbors

Version History

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