Many problems can’t be broken down to chains with finite-state nodes:

-e.g. 2-3 options here, then 2 options from there, then another 4 options, etc.

-with each step having an OBJECTIVE SOLUTION, for given ends

 

Instead it’s this network of INTERCONNECTED nodes, with most things fuzzy (but NOT indeterminate)

-each node falling SOMEWHERE on a SPECTRUM, in terms of its EFFICACY

-and each falling somewhere on a spectrum in terms of its IMPORTANCE, consequentiality

-and interconnectedness

-etc

 

So while we should never easily give up on the pursuit of OBJECTIVE TRUTH, OPTIMAL SOLUTION, objectivity and optimality,

…life is MESSY, and we approximate the most optimal solution, in real time

 

The good news is: even very messy systems tend to over time show objective tendencies

=you SHOULD be able to eventually VERIFY if one set of strategies outperformed another set

 

E.g.:

-chess game incredibly complex, even for computers it’s unclear which moves are always objectively the best — and YET the final result is one of 3 options (win lose draw) (and we could potentially forbid draw, making it truly binary)

-INVESTING is very complex — yet at the end either your ROI is positive, or negative

-relationship is a deep tapestry of values, attitudes, gestures — and yet at the end you either have TIME/PLACE for someone, or not

-HEALTH is myriad more or less clear habits — which nevertheless can quite clearly send you to the grave sooner, or later

-of course LAW — where the complexity of evidence, procedures, biases — ultimately collapses to the BINARY VERDICT of GUILTY / NOT GUILTY

-etc

 

Therefore one should obviously maintain BOTH GEARS at all times:

-anticipate the OBJECTIVE SOLUTION to EMERGE, potentially, at some point

(the fruit of all those unclear actions)

-but up until then — NAVIGATE the WEB of interconnected FUZZY nodes — by trying to MAXIMISE EFFICACY, VALUE at each point

(so try to focus on what’s most clearly most valuable,

though this may also include that which can be most easily optimised)

 

…without being TEMPTED by premature nihilism

=just because it’s NOT COMPLETELY CLEAR — doesn’t mean you can’t make BETTER OR WORSE DECISIONS

-and also — without letting others accuse you of VAGUENESS (“vague therefore meaningless”)

-just because you don’t know everything — doesn’t mean you can’t DECIDE on anything,

–doesn’t mean more OPTIMAL CHOICES cannot be determined from a set

 

Perhaps we can encapsulate it in the following statement:

“I DON’T FULLY KNOW — but this and that and many other things look PLAUSIBLE — therefore this is the CHOICE I MAKE with the INFORMATION I currently have”

(AND I’m confident in that choice)