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I love your response. I hate vague sentimentalities like this.
by nickthemagicman 9y ago
I love your response. I hate vague sentimentalities like this.
- api 9y agoThis is most business writing. Most of it is cargo cultism built from post rationalization of survivorship bias. There are so many factors that go into success or failure that it's very hard to ascribe causality, so superstition and folk wisdom prevails. You find this in lots of other areas with similar characteristics. All "theories of history," etc.
- gordon_freeman 9y ago> "Most of it is cargo cultism built from post rationalization of survivorship bias." Is this written as a sarcasm to the business writing? ;)
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- unclebucknasty 9y agoI generally agree. OTOH, it's not as if this stuff cannot be measured at all. The problem is that what are really just "somewhat interesting observations" tend to be sold (or interpreted) as much more "actionable" than they really are. That is, the implication is that if you go out and do these four things, you'll be successful too. Seems like 99% of business and self-help advice boils down to this formula.
- api 9y agoThe lack of science in business blows me away given the money involved.
- TheOtherHobbes 9y agoI'm never sure whether I should be amused or horrified by how much business writing tends to run on sentiment and emotion rather than empiricism. It seems to be more about Management Feels - up to Board level - and not so much about learning how to get things done. If you can sell a combination of subtle narcissistic flattery with enthusiastic promises of predictability, control, and guaranteed success your books will do extremely well - even if the advice is simplistic harmful nonsense.