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Version: 2.2 (current)
MCF 2.2 – Explanatory·Last updated: 2026-02-13

Decision Logic

This page explains decision thresholds and reversibility in the Canon without prescribing workflows.

Purpose

Explain how decisions advance, pause, or reverse based on evidence quality and thresholds.

What this explains
  • What decision thresholds are and how they are used.
  • Why reversibility matters before committing resources.
  • How to interpret evidence sufficiency in context.
  • How decision integrity prevents premature scaling.
How to use this page
  • Use it to interpret decision language in Book chapters.
  • Use Canon pages when you need formal definitions or constraints.
  • Treat thresholds as evidence gates, not timelines.
FIGURE 5 — DECISION THRESHOLDS, REVERSIBILITY, AND OPTIONALITY (EXPLANATORY)

Decision Thresholds (Explanatory)

A decision threshold is the minimum evidence required to defend a specific decision. The threshold is not universal; it depends on risk, cost, and reversibility (Kahneman, 2011). The Canon defines the logic; this Book layer explains how to interpret it in practice (Steele, 2015).

Reversibility and Optionality

MCF 2.2 treats reversibility as a safeguard. If a decision is reversible, the threshold can be lower because the cost of being wrong is limited. If a decision is irreversible, the threshold must be higher because the cost of error is systemic (Taleb, 2012). Preserving optionality keeps future paths open until evidence justifies commitment.