models

All models are wrong; some models are useful.

Models are fantasies every single one of us holds in our consciousness about how the external world, in whole or in part, works. We are constantly exercising and updating these models to decide how bring reality into accordance with our desire. When things work as expected, our model is vindicated. Otherwise, we face a choice: update the model, or grow resentful towards reality itself for not bending to our will.

Unconstrained idealists tend to have more highly developed, rigid, and internally consistent models compared with constrained vision types. As a result, they are more likely to experience the uncomfortable dissonance of reality diverging from the model. A constrained model is less expensive to update, less prone to breaking during updates, but it is also less predictive. Constrained models rely more heavily on pragmatism, sensory input, and empirical observation, whereas unconstrained models favor rationalism, intellectual purity, and disdain toward compromise due to the greater psychological damage incurred during divergence.

We need both Grand Unified Theory - type models to give us a vision of the future as well as less ambitious, less developed, and less predictive models to keep us grounded in reality. It is important for every individual to recognize the value of each approach and to try to find a balance between the extremes of utopian sky castles and dessicated, drudging pragmatism.