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July 26, 2005
Dafydd: ab Hugh's Universal Rules of Intelligence

Thinking about the terrible shooting of Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes, shot to death in London by police who mistook him for a suicide bomber, recalls some rules of intelligence and analysis that we should always keep in mind:

1. The Law of Imperfect Precognition: Sometimes there is no "right choice." Throw the dice.

2. The Law of Imperfect Postcognition: Not even hindsight is ever really 20-20.

3. The Law of Colliding Interests: Five different people can each make a rational decision and still wind up in a melee.

4. The Law of the Rational Onion: There is always another layer of analysis that contradicts everything you've already concluded. At some point, you just have to stop.

5. The Law of Models: There is a real reality out there, whether you can see it or not. And it bites.

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Posted by Dafydd at July 26, 2005 6:34 AM

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Dafydd over at Captain's Quarters has a great post about the "Universal Rules of Intelligence" in which he posits several rules for intelligence and analysis: The Law of Imperfect Precognition: Sometimes there is no "right choice." Throw the dice. The... [Read More]

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