Inside View vs. Outside View
The Inside View vs. Outside View is a conceptual distinction developed by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky that describes two modes of forecasting. The Inside View uses the specific details of a situation — plans, capabilities, intentions — to build predictions. The Outside View consults the base rate of outcomes for comparable past situations. The Inside View produces more confident, more optimistic forecasts; the Outside View produces more accurate ones. The distinction explains why most plans fail to anticipate obstacles and why reference class data is more reliable than expert case analysis.