Principlev1
Check the sample size of observed repetitions against the
Check the sample size of observed repetitions against the total opportunities for occurrence before concluding a pattern is meaningful, because your brain flags clusters without computing base rates.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Automatic Narrative Generation Precedes Conscious Evaluation (brain generates causal narratives pre-consciously), Availability Heuristic Mechanism (frequency judged by retrieval ease not actual count), and Automatic Pattern Perception (brain automatically generates patterns subject to confirmation bias). Prescribes base-rate checking as a filter for pattern candidates.