No. 32 · Decisions · Military and War
Nuclear Option
The most extreme move can settle a fight, but its damage may outlast the problem it solved.
In the Almanac
“Sherman’s march”, 1864 · “Facebook in Australia”, 2021
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Nuclear Option?
The Nuclear Option is an extreme move that resolves a situation definitively but causes damage that can't be undone. Sherman's March to the Sea helped end the Civil War yet left lasting resentment. Facebook's 2021 news block in Australia won concessions, at the price of a backlash.
How do you use Nuclear Option?
Before an irreversible decision, like quitting dramatically or ending a relationship over one issue, weigh all the fallout. Exhaust less drastic options first. Sometimes simply having the extreme option available is enough to shift a situation without ever using it.
When does Nuclear Option matter?
Nuclear Option is one of the 35 mental models for decisions, the situations where you ask: Which way should I go? Within that, it belongs to “Committing, and when not to”, alongside Burn the Boats, Circle of Competence and Devil’s Advocate Position.
What is an example of Nuclear Option?
Two stories show it at work: Sherman’s march (1864) and Facebook in Australia (2021). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Nuclear Option?
Deterrence, Pyrrhic Victory and Blowback. Nuclear Option itself comes from military and war.