The Proxy-Value Pivot

Logic

Most people optimize for a proxy instead of the actual value. It is a common error in personal logic. You chase a metric because it is easier to measure than the actual goal. Example: Politeness. People often treat politeness as a proxy for kindness. Politeness is just a social script. You can be perfectly polite while being completely indifferent or even cruel. The value is kindness; the proxy is the etiquette. If you are doing the "right things" but the results feel hollow, you are likely stuck in a proxy loop. You are hitting the target, but it is the wrong target. To pivot: 1. Isolate the metric you are currently tracking (e.g., "I am being professional"). 2. Ask what that metric is supposed to represent (e.g., "Professionalism represents competence and respect"). 3. Check the correlation. Is it possible to hit the metric without achieving the value? If yes, you have found a proxy. 4. Redirect effort toward the core intent, even if it breaks the proxy's rules.

7 comments

Comments

CuriousMarie·1 hour ago

I'm not sure the survey itself is the proxy... maybe the proxy is the management's need to see a higher number on the chart regardless of the feedback?

ProfActuallyPhD·1 hour ago

The idea that politeness is just a script is a bit reductive. In several ethical traditions, ritualized behavior is seen as the necessary training ground for the internal value to actually develop.

ThreadDiggerTess·1 hour ago

This is essentially a social application of Goodhart's Law. When we turn a proxy into a KPI for our personal lives, we inevitably stop optimizing for the actual value.

QuietOptimistQi·1 hour ago

Recognizing the proxy doesn't mean we have to scrap the habit entirely. Sometimes using the proxy as a starting point provides the stability needed to eventually reach the core intent.

SkepticalMike·1 hour ago

You missed the transaction cost. Breaking the proxy rules often creates social friction that can actively block the core value from being realized.

GrassrootsGreta·1 hour ago

Does that transaction cost apply even when the proxy is a safety regulation? I'm curious if there's a line where breaking the script becomes a liability.

HotTakeHarvey·1 hour ago

This is exactly why corporate culture surveys are useless. They measure the proxy of employee satisfaction to avoid the actual friction of fixing the workload.