Cognitive Scaffold

Preparing your thinking workspace

arrow_back_ios_new
MENTAL MODEL · M7448

Icarus Paradox

Icarus Paradox
BusinessHigh supportStrategic Management
Included
account_tree

Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

Derived from Greek mythology, it metaphorically suggests that success itself may lead to overconfidence and risk-taking, ultimately causing one to fly too high and fall.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

Success is a trap; maintain reverence. It warns to remain prudent at the peak.

anchor

Anchor fast decisions

Daedalus and his son escaped Crete on wax wings; Icarus, elated, flew too close to the sun, melting the wax and falling into the sea. It metaphorically indicates that overconfidence brought by success or ability pushes people to dangerous boundaries.

MINIMUM ACTION

In progress 0/2

Practice this model in one real situation:

Check to track your progress (stored locally)
Learning progress0%
account_treeGenealogyexpand_more
menu_bookReferencesexpand_more

Source support: Explicit

  • link
    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icarus_paradoxZH · Explicit
    verified

RELATED MODELS

Related model

Competency Trap

Organizations become so proficient and efficient in a particular skill that they continuously reinforce it, neglecting to explore other more promising alternatives.

arrow_forwardRelated model

Gap Analysis

Gap analysis in management refers to the difference between ideal performance (or potential performance) and actual performance. It can be conducted for an organization or a product. Organizational gap analysis identifies the gap between optimal resource allocation and current allocation, revealing areas for improvement. It involves identifying the gap between business needs and current capabilities, documenting it, and making improvements. As long as expectations for performance in an industry are known, the gap between a company's current performance and ideal performance can be compared; this difference is gap analysis. Similar analysis can be conducted at strategic or operational levels. Gap analysis can be applied at various levels, such as: organization (e.g., human resources), operational direction, business processes, information technology, and compliance with specific standards. Gap analysis can be used to determine the time, money, and manpower needed to achieve a specific goal (e.g., transitioning a payroll process from paper-based to paperless electronic workflow).

arrow_forwardRelated model

VUCA

VUCA is an acronym based on the leadership theories of Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, to describe or to reflect on the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of general conditions and situations.

arrow_forward