#385 - Gurwinder Bhogal - 15 Mental Models To Understand Psychology
Modern Wisdom
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Measure with Care: The Dangers of Singular Metrics
When a measure becomes a goal, it loses its effectiveness as a measure. This phenomenon, illustrated by British colonists in India who encouraged snake killing by rewarding snake corpses, shows that focusing on a single metric can lead to manipulation of that metric. People will adapt their behavior to exploit the system, creating unintended consequences. This underscores the importance of considering multiple factors in system optimization to prevent gaming and ensure genuine progress.
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