McNamara's Fallacy

McNamara's Fallacy refers to the mistake of focusing only on measurable, quantifiable data while ignoring qualitative factors that are harder to quantify. Named after Robert McNamara, a U.S. defense secretary, it highlights how decision-makers may overemphasize what can be easily counted—like numbers—ignoring important aspects such as context, morale, or nuance. This can lead to a distorted understanding of complex issues, where the metrics used don't fully capture the problem's reality. Recognizing this fallacy encourages looking beyond simple data points to consider the full scope of information necessary for informed decisions.