The Window Problem

Monday Map

Hello reader, I hope you had a restful weekend and you are ready for a productive week. Well, let us go right down to reading the map.

HINDSIGHT BIAS

Everything is clear in hindsight. This is the hindsight bias. It is what makes looking at the past clear enough to judge your actions and realize that you could have made better decisions. When you ask yourself after examining the outcome how you failed to connect the obvious dots, then the hindsight bias is at work in your mind. It is also what makes you see clear alternative outcomes that you didn't take. My advice, don't sweat it.

But here is an application: in case you look back, and you still cannot see alternative outcomes clearly, it means that in reality, there was little else to what you could do in the past. Like I said, don't sweat it.

THE WINDOW PROBLEM

Hindsight here: while reflecting on my essay The Philosophy of Addiction, I summarised the cause of addiction as The Window Problem.

Taking my cue from Christ in the Gospel according to Saint John chapter 10, I summarised it thus: nature has provided a proper but necessary entry- the door. But addictions result from neglecting the proper entrance to using a more convenient window. By skipping all the checks and restraints at the door, you carry all the baggage through the window and no one eases you off. Hence, we have the window problem.

In summary, popular addictions are the result of taking the window instead of the door. Use the door today- pay the required price.

Also, read the essay Here.

THE DATA TEST

So, I have found by observation that a lot of graphs and statistics presented as data is a waste of my time and yours. Especially those kinds presented during debates and discussions. You are discussing something of immense complexity and then someone brings a graph with the intent of slam-dunking you with the "facts over feelings." Really, I look at it again and wonder what they are trying to get at because most times, it just doesn't make sense. So, I invented a small test. I call it the data test.

Here goes: if anyone presents a certain statistical representation to you especially and most especially in a moral context, ignore what they are showing you and ask them for an inference. Very simple. Ask them "okay. Then what?"

You can read the full text on The Data Test here

"It seems to me that people flood their stories with numbers and graphs in the absence of solid or logical arguments. Further, people mistake empiricism for a flood of data…statistics isn't about data but distillation, rigor, and avoiding being fooled by randomness."

N.N. Taleb.

I hope this is useful for your week. But before I go, I owe you a picture:

See you around.