Analytical Life Rules of Thumb

When phrits started baking bread, he read somewhere that the term "rule of thumb" came from bakers testing whether their loaves were fully proofed and ready for the oven. When he learned to make beer, he found that brewers' lore said it had to do with wort temperature and pitching yeast. The phrase's origin has been claimed by carpenters and tailors as a measurement of short distances, by rotissieres checking a meat's doneness, and by shopkeepers giving (or taking) an extra bit. At Analytical Life, we're just happy to put a good approach to good use.

The Rules of Thumb here are guidelines. In the absence of any other information, they're probably your best bet. But don't trust them blindly. Your own mind is your strongest analytical tool. Never hesitate to use it.

In the case of the falling knife, it's purpose is much more literal, and it should be considered a vital and hard-fixed rule, not a guideline.

The Analytical Life

• "All knowledge is worth having." (Jacqueline Carey). That is not to imply that all knowledge is worth pursuing: The cost to obtain it may exceed the value of the knowledge. But if it's there for the taking, grab it while you can.
• Something is better than nothing: Any improvement, no matter how small, is still an improvement.

• You get out what you put in: A weak effort, a poor quality ingredient, or an insufficient time investment will yield exactly what you should expect.

• If you think you know more about a subject than a particular expert, you're probably right. If you think you know more than the consensus view, you're probably wrong.

Food and Cooking

• There is no handle on a falling knife.

• Bring a liquid to a full boil, then reduce the temperature to where you want it to be.

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