Via Negativa

Knowledge grows more reliably by identifying what is wrong than by asserting what is right — we can never fully prove a theory but can definitively falsify one. In practice, the most robust systems and lives are built not by adding clever features but by relentlessly removing fragilities, errors, and unnecessary complexity. The asymmetry is fundamental: the downside of a bad habit removed is bounded, while the upside of a good habit added is uncertain.

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