Why does schema quality criteria fail?

The most common reason schema quality criteria fails: Evaluating schemas only by how they feel. A schema that reduces anxiety ('Everything happens for a reason') or flatters your self-image ('I succeed because I work harder than everyone') can score high on emotional comfort and zero on predictive power. Comfort is not a quality criterion. If your evaluation method cannot distinguish a useful model from a reassuring one, it is not an evaluation method.

The fix: Pick one schema you actively rely on — a belief about how your industry works, a model of what motivates your team, a theory about your own productivity patterns. Score it on each of the six criteria from this lesson (accuracy, predictive power, scope, simplicity, fruitfulness, falsifiability) using a 1-5 scale. Where does it score highest? Where lowest? The lowest-scoring criterion tells you the most about the schema's vulnerability.

The underlying principle is straightforward: Define what makes a schema good — accuracy predictive power simplicity scope.