Brief Formula
A result obtained once determines the outcome of subsequent attempts, even when conditions may have changed.
Type: temporal and inductive frame.
Typical Manifestations
- “We’ve already tried that.”
- “It doesn’t work.”
- “It failed once, so there’s no point going back to it.”
- “I already know how this will end.”
Implicit Assumptions
- significant conditions have remained unchanged;
- a new attempt is identical to the previous one;
- the cause of failure lay in the idea itself;
- changes in time, resources, the subject, and the implementation method are insignificant;
- one instance is sufficient for a universal conclusion.
Rule of Transition
If an action once failed to produce the desired outcome, the entire corresponding class of actions is excluded from the space of present possibilities.
What Becomes Invisible
- changes in conditions;
- a different implementation method;
- abilities acquired by the subject;
- flaws in the original execution;
- the distinction between an unworkable idea and an unsuccessful attempt;
- the possibility of a limited experiment instead of a complete repetition.
Scope of Reasonable Application
Past experience is a significant source of knowledge. Refusing to repeat an attempt can be justified when the significant conditions really do remain the same and the cause of failure is understood.
The frame arises when a result is automatically carried forward without distinguishing the conditions anew. The error lies not in taking account of the past, but in turning a past result into an immutable law of the future.
Questions for a Metaposition
- What exactly failed then: the idea, its execution, or the specific conditions?
- Which significant parameters have changed since then?
- How many cases support the general conclusion?
- Can the idea be tested on a small, reversible scale?
- What would need to change for a new attempt to cease being a repetition of the old one?
