What is the Cobra Effect? [With Examples]
The Cobra Effect is when pure intentions lead to perverse results.
There is a quote that describes the Cobra Effect:
- The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Just because we have good intentions does not mean the result will always be good.
And even if the result is good, there will be a lot of bad too.
One example is the smartphone.
I know a lot of people were involved with the creation of the smartphone, but let’s simplify it really quick.
Let’s assume Tom created the smartphone.
He had the purest of intentions.
His goal was to:
- Connect the world.
- Record memories.
- Provide a supercomputer in people’s pockets.
What a good guy Tom is.
The smartphone is released.
The world begins to use it.
There is a lot of good, sure.
But there is also a lot of bad:
- Revenge porn.
- Social media addiction.
- Destroyed concentration levels.
Tom has no clue how to feel.
Is he a good guy or a bad guy?
Why the Cobra Effect is Hard to Predict
The reason that the Cobra Effect is hard to predict is because it’s so counterintuitive.
Plenty of times, we fall into linear thinking.
- X leads to Y.
But the Cobra Effect breaks all those conceptions.
- X leads to 5.
Huh??
Since the Cobra Effect is difficult to predict, I believe a philosophy is needed.
The philosophy is:
- A complex system is never complete. It needs continuous management & optimization.
In my book, Level Up Mentality, I share that it’s important to go on a competition with your prior day self forever.
Not for x number of days.
FOREVER.
Because the mind is a complex system.
It’s a system with a lot of parts:
- Knowledge, intellect, memory, ego, etc.
Therefore, we need to have a continuous approach rather than a finite one.
The Spoiled Kid
Have you ever met a spoiled kid before?
An entitled guy who lacks work ethic.
What were the kid’s parents like?
Surprisingly, the kids’ parents were nice.
A little too nice.
They let the kid play video games, talk to people recklessly, and play more video games.
The parents bought the kid whatever.
Why are the parents behaving like that?
It’s because the parents struggled.
And they want to make sure their baby boy doesn’t struggle.
Therefore, they shield the boy from any pain.
They think:
- ‘We work so hard so our child doesn’t have to!’
Whenever someone operates with this mentality, they do more harm than good.
People grow through pain.
When we rob them of any pain, they become a dufus.
What should the parents do?
The first thing the parents should do is realize that they have found themselves in the Cobra Effect.
This is a hard realization to make because most people are not aware of this concept.
If you’re reading this post, then you’re ahead of many.
After the parents notice their predicament, they should experiment.
Give the Kid More Responsibility
Initially, it will be tough to give the spoiled kid the command of:
- ‘Billy, go clean your room now.’
Because Billy has already learned to live a certain way.
Therefore, see what works and see what doesn’t.
Maybe the command will work.
Other times, the commands aren’t working.
More strict discipline is needed.
We fix spoiled people by giving them more responsibility.
Right now, Billy has been having his room cleaned by a maid.
Remove the maid.
Give Billy full ownership of his room.
Make it his responsibility to clean up the room.
See what happens and monitor the situation.
It’s difficult to give a one-size-fits-all approach to anything in a complex system.
It’s much easier to give a philosophical fix.
Which is:
- ‘In a complex system, good intentions don’t always lead to empowering results. Keep your eyes on the system!!’
Have You Ever Had a Cobra Effect Moment?
When was the last time you had a Cobra Effect-like moment?
Think about it.
I recall a long time ago; I had one of these weird moments.
This was when I got into my first-ever relationship.
Initially, I thought the guy was supposed to do everything.
Open the door, pay for everything, plan things, etc.
That’s what I did.
I was working with the purest of intentions.
However, rather than getting a warm fuzzy partner, I was getting a dufus.
This person soon began to shut off their mind.
She couldn’t solve basic problems.
I was already busy with my life.
And now solving all these problems for another human was beginning to piss me off.
I messed up.
The better approach would have been to give her stuff to do as well.
- ‘I’ll drive from Florida to Tennessee, but you have to give me directions.’
- ‘I’ll pay for the cruise, but you have to create an itinerary.’
- ‘I’ll help you move, but you need to treat me to dinner after.’
By giving her some work, she would have kept her mental faculties engaged.
But I messed up.
I didn’t know about the Cobra Effect then.
So, the resentment on my end just grew….
Keep your Eyes on the System Forever
Some find the Cobra Effect to be a daunting principle, but I find it to be a natural principle.
It’s sort of like gravity.
When you think about it, all innovation solves problems AND creates problems.
Think about the car.
Prior to the car, transportation must have been a pain.
It must have been a journey to get a letter sent from one location to the next.
After the car, so many problems were solved.
But simultaneously, a lot of problems were created.
- DUIs.
- Car thefts.
- Car accidents etc.
For every 1 problem we solve, 3 new problems are created.
^That’s a mental hook I like to follow to keep me on my toes.
Therefore, it’s important to never have the ‘it’s done’ mindset.
With a complex system, nothing is ever done.
It’s always day 1.
