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Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Second Order Thinking - Farnam Street

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A core component of making great decisions is understanding the rationale behind previous decisions. If we don’t understand how we got “here,” we run the risk of making things much worse.

Decision Making , Thinking | Reading Time: 5 minutes Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Thinking Chesterton’s Fence is a principle that reminds us to look before we leap. To understand before we act. It’s a cautionary reminder to understand why something is the way it is before meddling in change. The principle comes from a parable by G.K. Chesterton. There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say, for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected across a road. The more modern type of reformer goes gaily up to it and says, “I don’t see the use of this; let us

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