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Patterns
Fiction Lab / PatternDystopian anti-pattern

The metric that becomes the constitution

Mechanism

A measure begins as observation, then allocates resources and eventually decides who may change the rules.

Enabling conditions

  • One score drives several consequences
  • Metric owners also approve exceptions

Failure modes

  • Proxy replaces outcome
  • Gaming becomes a survival strategy

Early signals

  • • Score rises while outcomes deteriorate
  • • Teams export difficult cases

Countermeasures

  • • Separate diagnostic and allocation metrics
  • • Audit adaptation after launch

Diagnostic questions

  1. 1.What authority follows the score?
  2. 2.Who can appeal an error?