Correctness in the Context of Current Knowledge

This section briefly revisits a fundamental concept—correctness. A full exploration is covered in dedicated chapters, but for now, it is essential to understand that absolute correctness does not exist. Instead, correctness is always relative to current knowledge—essentially, our best candidate based on the information available. It represents our understanding of what is right or wrong, successful or unsuccessful, completed or incomplete, given the data we have.

What is considered correct at this moment may become incorrect in the next, and what appears to be a successful action now may later be seen as a failure in light of future knowledge.

Advantages of This Flexibility in Decision-Making

• Mistakes may not actually be mistakes—new knowledge may later prove them valid.
• Errors in one task can be steps toward success in another—if the system adapts quickly and reorients toward a new goal.
• Failures should be leveraged—they can define new starting points, sometimes leading to a better outcome than originally planned.
  
  • “I wanted to become an engineer but didn’t get in because I spent too much time playing basketball—yet, I became a city champion because I loved the game and played with passion.”

Implications for System Design

• Flexibility in goal definition and success criteria is crucial—rigid objectives limit adaptability.
• Intelligent systems should allow dynamic re-evaluation—a step that leads to a more favorable and sustainable state should be considered rational and successful.
• Success is not absolute—if actions lead to a better outcome within a given timeframe, they may be considered reasonable and effective.
• Long-term validation is uncertain—one may not live long enough to see today’s success redefined as failure, making it practically irrelevant.
• Success, once achieved, becomes established—the steps leading to it were, in hindsight, rational and justified.