Principlev1PR-196
When a personal pattern correlates with multiple variables…
When a personal pattern correlates with multiple variables, identify potential confounding variables—third factors that drive both observed variables—before concluding that one variable causes the other.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Automatic Narrative Generation Precedes Conscious Evaluation (causal narrative generation) and Belief Perseverance Against Contradictory Evidence (belief perseverance). The principle prescribes searching for confounders as a method to avoid the automatic but often incorrect causal inferences the brain produces.