A working collection of provisional explanations—and distinct ways to frame and test them.
Working collection · evolving in public
Hypotheses at Work
Flavors
Hypotheses can be powerful tools. These are some of the varieties I include in my cognitive tool chest:
Hmmpothesis
- aka "Hmmpo": an epiphany, notion, or other insight, often passing.; idle speculation, basically a guess. (Maybe more akin to the meaning of hypothesis in philosophy than in science—which has a higher standard.)
Hunchpothesis
- aka "hunchpo”, a guestimate one is tempted to wager on
- a portmanteau of hunch & hypothesis
Shypothesis
aka "Shypo": potential answers and other ideas that one is hesitant to share
- shyness has multiple causes:
- emotional humility: it's too immature, fleeting
- one’s own insecurities
- epistemological humility
- too radical: overturns established science,
"Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than of being misunderstood." -Friedrich Nietzsche
Trypothesis
- aka "Trypo": idea / answer suitable for testing ("Guess & Test"?)
- 'suitable' = have some semblance of controls, procedures...
Whypothesis
- AKA "Whypo": has explanatory power, a (somewhat) thought-out theory—or at least have been mulling over, that explains a phenomenon. A working theory—that, like scientific theories, still can be falsified, or modified.
- 👁️🗨️ (Ojo!):; “Why” can sound interrogative, even accusatory. “Don’t Start with Why”! (Sorry, Simon Sinek) Better to: “I wonder why…” and then do just that, WONDER. and not too much; better let it go. A shower moment may come later
Diepothesis
- AKA “diepo” Fighting words signalling emotional commitment. Etymology: “this is the hill I’ll die on”
Liepothesis
AKA “liepo” untrue, but believable, e.g. urban myth, folk etymology…
Mypothesis
aka "Mypo": replicable / applicable only for me (or I lack interest in applying elsewhere)
- 'suitable' = have some semblance of controls, procedures...
Crypothesis
- aka "Crypo": that which you don’t want to be so, yet afraid it is.
- Process of resigning to the truth.
🏗️ WIP:
Flypothesis: involves a leap of faith
Hipothesis: fashionable / cutting-edge explanations (with proto-wisdom potential)
Tiepothesis: commitment device. Think: Odysseus at the mast.