202203210830 When your model and reality conflict, reality is always right
Attachment to our models of reality is a trap. We spend too much time distracted by what we think is the case when we should be engaging directly with what reality is teaching us. Knowing that 202203210832 Models are necessarily incomplete, we should be easily persuaded to change and iterate on them.1
It's easy to get stuck in some sort of failure mode regarding 202109251155 Desire vs expected outcome in decision making or the 202203210845 Sunk cost fallacy.
202203210831 Models are immutable but reality isn't, even the best models might become outdated.
In any case, reality is our teacher and guide to a better model. 202304102010 Interactions with reality drive innovation. Keep in mind that 202503301254 The map is not the territory.
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Larson, W. (2021, October 7). How to safely think in systems. https://lethain.com/how-to-safely-think-in-systems/ ↩
- 202203210831 Models are immutable but reality isn't
- 202203210832 Models are necessarily incomplete
- 202203210833 Systems thinking
- 202208101013 Information and intelligence
- 202307241042 The Pragmatic Programmer
- 202401291554 All systems thinking is a simplification
- 202402171520 Ask questions to assess the validity of a model
- 202402201526 Everything we think we know about reality is a model
- 202402241821 Reality is often nonlinear
- 202503301254 The map is not the territory
- 202508192313 You must test an idea to know if it works
- 202511151148 Domain
- 202511161359 We never know enough to begin a project
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