MENTAL MODEL · M7057

Non-Maleficence Principle

CultureHigh supportEthics

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Updated 2026-08-10

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INTRODUCTION

English translation pending.

CORE DEFINITION

A principle expressed in the Latin maxim primum non nocere, first do no harm, and a foundational rule of medical ethics. Its core proposition is that under uncertainty the side effects of intervention routinely exceed expectation, and that harm is often irreversible while benefit is speculative, so preventing damage takes priority over producing good. The qualifier is that it sets a floor rather than an end, and cannot justify inaction where harm will occur anyway.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

- Harm enumeration: list the damage the action could cause before listing any benefit it might produce. - Severity check: ask whether the possible harm is reversible and how severe it would be. - Red line setting: define the damage you will not cause regardless of the upside.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Interventions act on systems whose interactions are only partly understood, so unintended effects are common and often appear later. Because damage is frequently irreversible while benefits remain probabilistic, ordering the two by priority rather than by size prevents the worst outcomes at the cost of forgoing some gains.

MINIMUM ACTION

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Practice this model in one real situation:

Enumerate the possible harms of the action before considering its benefits. 2. Assess whether each harm is reversible and how severe it would be. 3. Define the harm you will not cause under any circumstances. 4. Compare benefits only once the damage is bounded, then monitor for harm signals.

Check to track your progress (stored locally)

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Source support: Explicit

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en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primum_non_nocereZH · Explicit
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