Former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara is usually remembered for his close ties to the war in Vietnam -- his central role in the war's escalation and the associated loss of life. But McNamara, trained in economics, also spent significant portions of his life thinking about and implementing methods to improve efficiency. During World War II, for example, he worked for the Office of Statistical Control to improve flight paths and help end the war in the Pacific.
In 1995, McNamara wrote a book highlighting his 11 lessons of war, which were later featured in an Errol Morris documentary. The lessons have an ostensibly militaristic feel, but I've found that with slight tweaking they work well as guidelines for conducting scientific research. 1. Empathize with...
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pointing to a map of Vietnam at a press conference on April 26, 1965 Image: Wikimedia commons, Marion S. Trikosko |
2. Rationality will not save us
3. There's something beyond one's self
4. Maximize efficiency
5. Proportionality should be a guideline in war
6. Get the data
7. Belief and seeing are both often wrong
8. Be prepared to reexamine your reasoning
9. In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil
10. Never say never
Nature11. You can't change human nature
linkurl:Steve Midway;http://student.uncw.edu/srm8757/ is a PhD student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, studying fisheries biology.
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