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The OODA Loop — The decision cycle that wins
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Ready for Anything0040
The OODA Loop
The decision cycle that wins
A four-step cycle for making decisions quickly under pressure.
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0040 · The Primer41 / 53
Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. Then loop again. Fighter pilot John Boyd designed this cycle. The person who loops fastest does not need to be strongest. Speed of thinking beats speed of action. The cycle works in emergencies, sports, exams, and arguments.
- Most mistakes happen at "Orient," where you interpret what you see. Wrong interpretation leads to wrong action.
- Practice: the next time something unexpected happens, notice how long it takes you to move from observing to acting.
SourceBoyd, Patterns of Conflict (1986)
Standard decision theory
Standard decision theory
Keep exploring
Because you read The OODA Loop.
Ready for Anything0044
Lateral Thinking
The problem is the frame
Solving a problem by questioning the rules nobody stated.
I · You45 / 53
Ready for Anything0045
The Scientific Method
The loop that built the modern world
A repeating loop of question, guess, test, and honest result.
I · You46 / 53
Money Sense0018
Opportunity Cost
The price of what you did not choose
The value of the best thing given up to get something else.
I · You19 / 53