Reification

a.k.a Fallacy of Misplaced Concreteness

it is a common bias to take the abstraction put out before you and misinterpret what is factual and what is not. in other words, the lines between purpose of the model and its limitations are blurred.

  • when looking at a map, we may assume that if a territory matches the map in a couple of respects, then it matches the map in all respects. Consider our impression of the bumps (representing mountains) when we run our fingers along the surface of a globe. We naturally over-estimate how much of the globes representation is factual. In fact, if the ratio was proper, we wouldn't even feel the bumps when running our fingers over mountains. Compared to the size of the earth, even Mount Everest is very smooth. If the ratio was proper, the whole globe would feel like a marble.
  • ex. a wedding ring is the reification of a couple's love.