Recognising when a model is being treated as the world itself is essential for both analysis and intervention. Several heuristics indicate that the relational cut has disappeared:
Over-reliance on simulation outputs: Decisions or interpretations are driven primarily by model results, rather than relational engagement with the underlying system.
Unquestioned assumptions: Model parameters, structural choices, or scenario boundaries are rarely challenged, and their contingent nature is overlooked.
Predictive authority without validation: The model’s forecasts are treated as trustworthy, even in domains where empirical testing is limited or impossible.
Selective attention to congruence: Instances where the model aligns with observed phenomena are amplified, while discrepancies are rationalized or ignored.
Institutional and rhetorical reinforcement: The model’s outputs are cited as evidence of reality, with credibility maintained through community consensus, repetition, and prestige rather than relational accuracy.
These signs are not always immediately obvious. The model may function effectively within its domain, producing useful guidance or internal coherence. Yet the structural risk remains: the model’s authority is derived internally, not relationally, and the boundary between model and world is obscured.
Recognising these signs allows practitioners and analysts to diagnose vanishing cuts and maintain awareness of the model’s status as a theory of possibilities rather than literal reality. The next part will explore structural rescue or illusion, showing how model authority can be internally sustained even when the cut has disappeared.
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