A law invented by Marc of The Templin Institute and introduced in the video "The Idiotic Strategy That Always Works (But Shouldn't!)":
"Dumb ideas are implemented all the time often with cataclysmic results. But they're implemented in the first place because there was a legitimate expectation of a positive outcome; these ideas fall within the "Zone of Believability." However some ideas are so clearly bad and consequences so obvious that no sensible person would ever consider them; such ideas cross the threshold into the "Zone of Ridiculousness" and no explanation can ever justify such an idea's inherit preposterousness."
Essentially this law dictates that are 2 categories that a dumb idea fit under: Believable (Reasonable chance of a positive outcome) and Ridiculous (Very high chance of 1 or more bad outcomes), and that any idea that fits under the latter category should be flat-out rejected.
"Dumb ideas are implemented all the time often with cataclysmic results. But they're implemented in the first place because there was a legitimate expectation of a positive outcome; these ideas fall within the "Zone of Believability." However some ideas are so clearly bad and consequences so obvious that no sensible person would ever consider them; such ideas cross the threshold into the "Zone of Ridiculousness" and no explanation can ever justify such an idea's inherit preposterousness."
Essentially this law dictates that are 2 categories that a dumb idea fit under: Believable (Reasonable chance of a positive outcome) and Ridiculous (Very high chance of 1 or more bad outcomes), and that any idea that fits under the latter category should be flat-out rejected.
Ship Captain *Gives details on a naval assault plan*
Executive Officer: Sir, there's so much wrong with that plan that it breaks Marc's First Law; I can't even list out every possible way that it could fail!
Executive Officer: Sir, there's so much wrong with that plan that it breaks Marc's First Law; I can't even list out every possible way that it could fail!
by KXMR April 04, 2025