All Models Are Wrong, Some Are Useful

Most of What We Know is Wrong

We’ve all seen the model of what an atom looks like. They call it the planetary model (like the one pictured below) and it dates back more than a century.

Apparently, it is completely wrong.

And I don’t mean kind of wrong, completely and totally wrong.

The planetary model is easily understood. At different points in our education, it makes sense to use it as the model, even though it is wrong because it advances our ability to understand concepts of the universe.

“All models are wrong, but some are useful.” George E. P. Box

I like what Box said because it frees us to operate with the knowledge, we think we have today and make our best guesses based on it.

We never finish growing in our understanding, instead, we operate with the best understanding we have today rather than waiting for perfect information.

A good understanding is one that holds together long enough to get you to a better understanding.

It might even be helpful to ask ourselves, is this a model "of" or a model "for"? Recognizing the difference illuminates the gap between what we think is true and what might be true.

Another way to frame it, 'the map is not the territory'. Our perception is not reality as the map is, not the actual territory. We don’t want to confuse our impression of reality with reality itself.

At various points in our lives, we as people, even as societies will think we have the answer. It is always best however to remember, all models are wrong and some of them are useful. Even the Ikigai Venn Diagram.

That is a discussion for another day.