hardertoreasonabout
Hardertoreasonabout is a coined label used in discussions of analysis and decision-making to describe problems that become more difficult to reason about as the depth or breadth of reasoning increases. The phrase captures the intuition that adding layers of explanation, assumptions, or components often raises complexity or creates unexpected interactions.
Definition and scope: It is not a formal theory but a heuristic. The term describes situations in
Causes: Nonlinear dynamics, emergent properties, feedback loops, hidden dependencies, model misspecification, conflicting objectives, and normative ambiguity
Examples: In artificial intelligence, attempting to predict or control a system whose behavior depends on its
Implications: The concept helps frame caution against overconfidence in models that seem tractable at first glance.
See also: second-order thinking, recursive reasoning, complexity theory, frame problem, unintended consequences. The term is informal