No. 150 · Work · Military and War
Unforced Error
Many of our worst setbacks are mistakes nobody forced us to make.
In the Almanac
“The Light Brigade”, 1854 · “BP”, 2010
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Unforced Error?
An Unforced Error is a mistake that comes from our own carelessness, haste or poor communication, not from an opponent or bad luck. In many contests, the winner is simply the one who makes the fewest avoidable slips.
How do you use Unforced Error?
Use it by making instructions impossible to misread, pausing before speaking under stress, and automating away easy mistakes like late payments. When reviewing a failure, ask which parts were forced and which you handed yourself.
When does Unforced Error matter?
Unforced Error is one of the 43 mental models for work, the situations where you ask: How do I get the right things done? Within that, it belongs to “Finishing, not polishing”, alongside Hofstadter’s Law, Minimum Viable Product and Mythical Man-Month.
What is an example of Unforced Error?
Two stories show it at work: The Light Brigade (1854) and BP (2010). 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 Unforced Error?
Post Mortem, Self-Serving Bias and Murphy’s Law. Unforced Error itself comes from military and war.