Climb down the ladder before you react

The move: climb down before you act from the top rung. The Ladder of Inference explains a fast mental sequence: you observe data, select some of it, add meaning, make assumptions, draw conclusions, form beliefs, and act. The danger is not inference itself. The danger is forgetting that an inference happened. A practical reset Ask five questions: What did I actually observe? What did I ignore? What meaning did I add? What else could explain this? What action keeps information open? This does not make you passive. It makes your response better aimed.

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