North Carolina Car Accident Lawyer Blog

The “just so story” problem affects scientists and thinkers across all domains – not just people who focus on North Carolina car accident prevention.

As we discussed in a previous post, the “just so story” problem is a fundamentally human one. When we get an idea in our minds about how to solve a problem or how to look at the world – what Thomas Kuhn might describe as a “paradigm” – we tend to see all new evidence and data through that paradigm. This can be useful if the paradigm is correct or close to correct. But it can be dangerous if your perspective is warped or if the data simply doesn’t agree. And it can be particularly dangerous in that bad ways of framing problems like North Carolina car accident prevention can persist even in the face of what should be (objectively speaking) compelling refutations.

For instance, say you believe that seat belts are irrelevant to car accident injury prevention. Most people don’t believe this. Decades ago, this was actually conventional wisdom. Seat belts were seen as an extravagance or possibly even a danger. And because you are still locked into the “seat belts are irrelevant” paradigm, your tendency might be to completely ignore studies, anecdotal evidence, etc., that showcase the power of seat belts to save lives.

Dangerous stuff.

So, how do we get around this “just so story” problem?

Step 1 is to be humble. We all have a tendency to oversimplify because that’s just human nature.

Step 2 is to go for quantity of analysis. In other words, the accident prevention community should seek to compile all the theories that just might be relevant, irrelevant, or interweaving before rendering judgments.

Step 3 is to use rigorous science to analyze and test different ways of framing the problem. Science is all about refuting what you think you know. So, if you think that seat belts are irrelevant, science can help you figure out whether that idea is preposterous. For instance, if carefully controlled studies show that people who wear seat belts survive accidents better and with fewer injuries, that data could be a refutation of the “seat belts are irrelevant” idea.

Finally, we can’t live and drive in a vacuum. We need to make decisions.

If someone you know or care about was hurt in an accident, you might need immediate help. A North Carolina car accident law firm can give you the guidance, advice, and resources you need to get your life back on track, make sure that wrongdoers are held responsible, and get you just compensation for your injuries and property damage.

More Web Resources:

Thomas Kuhn

“seat belts are irrelevant” paradigm