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Model vs Reality
Systems / Dualities · Updated Jul 2026
Your map is not the territory.
The Tension
Models simplify reality to make it tractable. Reality has details, coupling, and dynamics the model omits. Useful models are always wrong; the question is whether they're wrong in ways that matter.
| Model | Reality |
|---|
| Compressed | Full-dimensional |
| Stable | Shifting |
| Manipulable | Irreducible |
| What you reason with | What you live in |
"All models are wrong, but some are useful." — George Box
Why It Matters
- Decisions run on models. When the model diverges from reality, the decisions go wrong.
- Defending a model against reality is how disasters happen.
- Every model has a domain of validity — outside it, the model lies.
How to Apply
- Know the assumptions your models make. Write them down.
- Notice when reality stops matching. Update the model, don't force the world.
- Hold multiple models at once.
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