Questions to ask when everyone is shooting themselves in the foot

A conceptual framework for diagnosing persistent, collective counterproductive behavior—colloquially 'shooting yourself in the foot'—has gone viral within rationalist and tech circles. Published on the LessWrong forum by author Jason Crawford, the post 'Questions to ask when everyone is shooting themselves in the foot' provides an 18-point analytical checklist. It guides users to dissect why institutions, industries, or societies might stick to harmful practices even when superior alternatives are obvious and available. The framework moves beyond simple blame to examine incentive structures, historical ratcheting effects, the role of special interests, and the visibility of costs versus benefits.

The post's viral spread, garnering over 1 million views and extensive discussion, highlights its utility as a mental model for tech professionals and policymakers. Commenters, including top-scoring contributor XelaP, have expanded on the original questions, adding layers about unseen counterfactuals (like 'lifesaving drugs that weren't developed') and the memetic properties of problem-solving versus problem-perpetuating narratives. The framework is now being applied to analyze real-world issues in AI safety debates, regulatory capture in tech, and organizational dynamics within large companies, providing a structured way to move from frustration to actionable systemic analysis.