F*ck Consensus! What We Need is Candor

AI-free writing and thinking

Science is most trustworthy when there is scientific consensus. That’s one of the many ideas I learned while writing about Science and Avoiding Avalanches. The fundamental concepts in science all translated directly over to avoiding avalanches, except this idea of consensus.

Yeah, consensus is great in the backcountry when conditions are simple and everyone is happy and agrees. But when conditions are complex and uncertain we end up having different perceptions of the danger. There may appear to be consensus in the group as we strive to keep harmony, but what are people actually thinking?

F*ck consensus! What we need is candor!

It was a writing dream to work with psychologist and backcountry skier Sara Boilen to create Candor: Our Greatest Piece of Safety Gear?. Thanks Sara!