How to think about your errors

GoldenMean·3/29/2015, 1:56:06 PM·16 votes·1,251 views

When it comes to trying to fix errors, you should prioritize them. Disregarding ease of fixing (which is important), the following is true:

The importance of an error is a function of its magnitude (how bad it is) multiplied by its frequency (how often it happens).

In other words, a little error that happens all the time could be more important than a big error that happens seldom.

This comes from poker literature (e.g. Miller/Sklansky) but applies to a lot of different fields.

6 Comments

DrathTurtle3143/29/2015, 6:57:43 PM5 votes

Actually really useful. Failing to secure baron and getting aced feels worse than missing CS and having 90 CS at 20 min in lane, but if the former is rare, 1 in 50 games and the latter happens frequently, 4 in 5 games(the fifth being played in the jungle or support role), then fix the CS problem first.

Dincht3/29/2015, 6:51:45 PM1 votes

This is pretty cool! Thanks man!

Wullf3/30/2015, 9:17:52 AM1 votes

There is thing called "Malacht sentence" (after Student of University of defense) who said: "If you make enough errors, and these error are not intentional, you can say that every each error will deflect the result in different way, resulting in right outcome."

So if you would reach Malacht's critical mass of mistakes, the outcome of a game will be somwhat good.

Though this critical amount of errors would be pretty high in a game and then it would be almsot imposible for each to be unintentional.

JTTCOTE3/30/2015, 9:23:31 AM1 votes

The top 3 errors I see under that analysis:

Bad CSing Not upgrading trinket Copying the mobafire build ever single game

Wakamune3/30/2015, 3:18:48 PM1 votes

Errors also beget errors.

I think we've all been there; we chase or decide to scout an unwarded jungle and your team dies over trying to get you out of trouble.

Or a bad dragon call getting you killed. That kind of stuff. Making good decisions regularly lets other people cover you back, or you cover them.

GundayMonday3/30/2015, 3:25:11 PM1 votes

Bump for wisdom.