---
title: "The100: Universal laws, intellectual mischief, and CSI Miami"
description: "Intellectual mischief Alex Morris has released his Strategy and Planning Field Guide. There are enough gems in there to sink a ship. I simply can’t list them all. So here are my top 5: Page 28: Ways to start doing research differently Pages 34 – 35: The danger of aggregates and averages Page 37: A guide …"
---

[Watch Me Think Blog](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog)

# [The100: Universal laws, intellectual mischief, and CSI Miami](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-universal-laws-intellectual-mischief-and-csi-miami)

 Written by [Alistair Vince](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/author/alistair-vince) | Aug 16, 2019, 10:00:56 AM

### Intellectual mischief

[Alex Morris](http://alexmorris.co/) has released his [Strategy and Planning Field Guide](https://view.publitas.com/thechopshop/theory-of-strategy-and-planning/page/1).

There are enough gems in there to sink a ship. I simply can’t list them all. So here are my top 5:

- Page 28: Ways to start doing research differently
- Pages 34 – 35: The danger of aggregates and averages
- Page 37: A guide to writing an insight
- Pages 38 – 39: How to tell if you have an insight
- Pages 126 – 127: The Thinking Hats template for new ideas

*(It looks like a lot of pages/heavy going, but it’s surprisingly easy to burn through)*

### When a measure becomes a target

There are some [laws that are universal](https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/laws/). Truths which apply no matter what your field. And as Morgan Housel elegantly puts it:

> Restricting your attention to your own field blinds you to how many important things people from other fields have figured out that are relevant to your own

Mill “Mistakes” (*Assuming the familiar is the optimal*) and Wiio’s Laws (eg *Communication usually fails, except by accident*) all got me stroking my chin with particular vehemence.

As too did Goodhart’s Law.

> …once a goal is set, people will optimize for that goal in a way that neglects equally important parts of a system.

Thus reminding me of [The Hanoi rat massacre of 1902.](https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/hanoi-rat-massacre-1902) A situation which didn’t go quite to plan, but one which at least makes for a great story around the dinner table… or maybe not…

### The 3 types of empathy

You may have noticed us banging on about empathy on the odd occasion 🙂 Much of said banging focused on consumer empathy. But what about employee empathy?

Sophie Wade explains how there are 3 components to empathy: cognitive empathy, affective empathy and empathetic concern. These translate into 3 steps which can help us [be more empathetic in the workplace](https://www.atlassian.com/blog/teamwork/empathy-at-work/amp).

Pullack Mohanty also explains how, amongst other factors, [empathising with your employees can contribute to great CX](https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2019/07/08/customer-experience-be-obsessed-be-empathetic-be-proactive/#29c705676112).

### In the beginning

[A story on the rise and fall of the](https://www.wired.com/story/supercut-video-rise-and-fall/)*[supercut](https://www.wired.com/story/supercut-video-rise-and-fall/)*[video](https://www.wired.com/story/supercut-video-rise-and-fall/). For those not familiar with the *supercut*, people who had a lot of time on their hands would cut together clips that fitted into a theme, which they’d then release as a single video compilation.

From the original supercut, [I’m Not Here to Make Friends](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w536Alnon24), to [Every Time Denzel Has Ever Clapped](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpI1BM5-Umk) and [CSI Miami – Endless Caruso One Liners](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarYH0z948), they’re about exposing patterns. And they’re brilliant. 

If that’s poked some memories, [here’s a list of 100 websites that have shaped the internet](https://gizmodo.com/100-websites-that-shaped-the-internet-as-we-know-it-1829634771). It may make a few of us (me) feel old, and although he wasn’t an internet star, it brings back some painful memories of a certain paperclip.

### Hey from the future

Moving through time, you can now read [what other people wish they’d known when they were your age](https://heyfromthefuture.com/age/).

Slightly depressingly, mine says:

> They say 45-55 are the least happy years of a man’s life. Get out, enjoy it, so you prove them wrong.

So I’m off on holiday now for a few weeks. You know, getting out, enjoying it and proving them wrong 😉

This means the next issue of The100 will be on Sept 6th. But if I’m needed, you’ll find me searching for the ultimate plate of Tajine …anyone got a restaurant recommendation for Marrakech?

 

 

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