Chesterton’s Fence
The principle that you must understand the original purpose of a rule, custom, or institution before proposing to change it, applied here to the debate between soldier mindset and scout mindset—arguing that we need to know why motivated reasoning exists before advocating its abandonment.
THE IDEA
What the Soldier Is Protecting
I try to abide by the rule that when you advocate changing something, you should make sure you understand why it is the way it is in the first place.
This rule is known as Chesterton’s fence, after G. K. Chesterton, the British writer who proposed it in an essay in 1929.1 Imagine you discover a road that has a fence built across it for no particular reason you can see. You say to yourself, “Why would someone build a fence here? This seems unnecessary and stupid, let’s tear it down.” But if you don’t understand why the fence is there, Chesterton argued, you can’t be confident that it’s okay to tear it down.
Long-standing customs or institutions are like those fences, he said. Naive reformers look at them and say, “I don’t see the use of this; let’s clear it away.” But more thoughtful reformers reply, “If you don’t see the use of it, I certainly won’t let you clear it away. Go away and think. Then, when you can come back and tell me that you do see the use of it, I may allow you to destroy it.”2
I propose learning to approach beliefs as a scout seeking accuracy rather than a soldier defending a position. That reform needs the same care. No matter how strong a case there seems to be for the benefits of scout mindset, the argument is incomplete until we know what soldier mindset is doing there in the first place. Does motivated reasoning benefit us in important ways? What might we lose if we give it up?
• • •
Experts in many fields have explored motivated reasoning in different ways, from psychologists to behavioral economists to evolutionary psychologists to philosophers. By now there’s a sprawling body of literature on the question “What function does motivated reasoning serve?” I’ve broken it down into six overlapping categories: comfort, self-esteem, morale, persuasion, image, and belonging.
When to use it
When evaluating a new software development process, understand why the old process existed before proposing changes.
In policy making, research the historical context of a regulation before suggesting its removal.
In personal relationships, consider why a family tradition exists before deciding to abandon it.
In organizational change, consult with long-time employees to learn the history of existing practices.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
The fence across the road
A road has a fence built across it for no apparent reason. A naive reformer wants to tear it down without understanding its purpose. Chesterton argues that you must first understand why the fence is there before removing it.
Applying Chesterton’s fence to motivated reasoning
The text applies the principle to the debate between soldier mindset and scout mindset: before advocating for scout mindset, we must understand what functions soldier mindset (motivated reasoning) serves—such as comfort, self-esteem, morale, persuasion, image, and belonging—and what might be lost if we abandon it.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think of a rule or custom you dislike. Can you identify the original reason it was put in place? Does that reason still hold today?
Before trying to change a long-standing practice, what steps can you take to understand its purpose?
In what areas of your life might you be acting as a naive reformer, failing to appreciate the hidden benefits of existing systems?
References
- Essay in 1929 (likely 'The Thing') — G. K. Chesterton (1929)
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- The Scout Mindset (Julia Galef)