"Adding Indirection" by Dr. Neil and Dark Hippo

Every time you try to generalize an observation you are playing with fire. On one hand, if your generalization is successful, you increase the power and import of the observation tenfold. But on the other hand, if you are unsuccessful, you negate the value of the original observation entirely. Also, each further generalization may possibly yield yet another exponential increase in value, but the chances of completely annihilating the value of the original observation is similarly increased.

This is the case with the generalization of generalizations. The further away you move from the concrete, the greater the risk of making nonsense out of previously useful information.

At first you have a particular thing in front of you - let's say a stapler. You make an observation: "This stapler is good for securing papers together". Then you decide to generalize the statement: "You know, staplers are good for securing papers together". So far, so good. But you decide to take the generalization further: "Staplers are good for securing all sorts of things together. You know, my hat doesn't fit very well. Maybe I should use a stapler to secure it my head."

So think long and hard about thinking long and hard, and consider that maybe you should just stop while you're ahead and say simply: "This here is a damn good stapler."