When you run into something you don't understand in a system, what do you assume?

· Bits and Bobs 3/17/26
  • When you run into something you don't understand in a system, what do you assume?
    • That it's dumb or that you just don't understand why it was put there yet?
      • That is, do you assume it has a good reason or not?
    • If you assume it's there for a good reason, you can learn from it.
    • If you assume it's there for a bad reason, all you can do is figure out how to route around it.
    • Things that were put there by humans in the past were likely put there for a good reason, even if it's not obvious.
      • It's expensive to fight entropy in a coordinated way.
    • A key asymmetry: people only tend to do it when they think it will create value in some way.
    • This is the insight behind Chesterton's fence.