Scientific Definition
A goal stated in positive, sensory-specific, self-initiated, contextualized, and ecologically sound terms.
Plain-English Definition
A goal stated in positive, sensory-specific, self-initiated, contextualized, and ecologically sound terms.
Feynman Explanation
'Be less stressed' is not a goal. It's a complaint with aspirations.
Core Principle
A goal stated in positive, sensory-specific, self-initiated, contextualized, and ecologically sound terms.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
A goal stated in positive, sensory-specific, self-initiated, contextualized, and ecologically sound terms.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
OKR design, executive coaching, strategy facilitation.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
'Be less stressed' is not a goal. It's a complaint with aspirations.
Examples
- Foundational NLP goal-setting protocol.
- OKR design, executive coaching, strategy facilitation.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Restate every goal in WFO form before committing resources.
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.
- Restate every goal in WFO form before committing resources.
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.
Judging a decision by its outcome rather than by the quality of the process.
Re-orient any conversation from 'what's wrong / whose fault' to 'what do we want and how do we get it.'
How will I feel about this in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years?
Inattention or forgetfulness caused by low attention, hyperfocus, or distraction.
Forgetting to compare an offer with the next-best alternative.
Outcomes that could have happened but did not.
Overthinking a situation so that decision-making stalls.
The first number on the table silently sets the range for every number after it.
Tversky & Kahneman's classic: identical outcomes flip from 'risk averse' to 'risk seeking' when framed as lives saved vs. lives lost.
Our perception is shaped by what we selectively pay attention to.
Favoring suggestions from automated systems over conflicting human judgment.
A color appears different depending on adjacent colors.