The best warriors have no reputation for wisdom or courage - Sun Tzu's Art of War
<aside> Guardrails protect lives, yet why does no one ever thank the guardrails?
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Legend has it that Bian Que had two older brothers who were also doctors. So why haven't we heard of Bian Que's brothers? In fact, Bian Que mentioned his two brothers in a conversation with King Wei, but when King Wei directly asked Bian Que which of the three brothers had the highest medical skill, Bian Que thought for a moment and said that his eldest brother's medical skill was the most outstanding, followed by his second brother, and his own skill was the least.
King Wei initially thought this was Bian Que being modest, but later Bian Que explained the reason. He told King Wei that a truly good doctor could spot potential problems before the patient even became ill. However, as a doctor, one must still treat the patient, so when the patient recovers, they won't feel it was the doctor who cured them, because their illness never manifested - how could they feel the pain of an illness that never occurred? That's why my eldest brother never gained fame. My second brother would discover ailments in their early stages and treat patients then, so people thought he could only treat minor illnesses. As for me, the patients I see are usually already seriously ill, so in comparison, the common people consider me the most renowned.
When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure —— Goodhart's Law
Goodhart's Law is a widely cited observation in social sciences that focuses on the relationship between goals and indicators. The core principle of this law states: when an indicator becomes a target, it ceases to be a good indicator. This perspective stems from a common human behavioral tendency: when we set a specific goal, our behavior shifts toward optimizing ways to achieve that goal. This behavioral change may lead to other important objectives being neglected and might even produce unforeseen negative effects.
A typical application of this law can be found in the education system. For example, if we set standardized test scores as the primary indicator for measuring school teaching quality, teachers and schools might become overly focused on improving students' test scores. This could lead them to neglect teaching other important skills like innovative thinking and critical thinking. This phenomenon of over-optimizing one indicator while neglecting other important goals is a classic example of Goodhart's Law.
Goodhart's Law reminds us to be cautious when setting goals and choosing metrics to measure these goals, considering various factors in a balanced way. We shouldn't over-optimize any single indicator and should avoid neglecting other important objectives while pursuing one goal. This law encourages us to take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach when establishing and implementing goals, to avoid falling into the trap of single-minded pursuit while overlooking the bigger picture.