The Law of Strategic Amnesia – Promises vanish. Resentment stays.
John once reminded The Boss of a promise. The Boss smiled vaguely and said, “Let’s look forward.” The Strategist nodded at the wisdom of focus.
More from Johnny’s footnote archives
- One initiative ended quietly — with “lessons learned” that no one read.
- Commitments expired the moment slides were archived.
- Recognition skipped those who remembered.
- Memory became a liability, while selective recall became a skill.
A fragment of a lost email chain
RE: Follow-up on That Thing We Promised
From: John
To: The Boss
Subject: Gentle reminder — initiative next steps
Hi, just checking if we’re still on track for…
Reply:
– Thanks John — let’s stay focused on the future. The past doesn’t drive progress.
Cc: The Strategist (who replies with a thumbs-up emoji).
Thread archived within the hour.
Johnny thought: In corporate history, the next step is often amnesia.
He then noted:
When promises vanish, memory with teeth remains.
#NaturalLawsOfBullshit #StrategicAmnesia #ChangeDrama
Johnny’s Footnotes is a satirical instrument, infused with humour, for understanding organisational dysfunction, grounded in The Anatomy of Nonsense, also known as the Grand Unified Theory of Bullshit, finally documented so you no longer have to pretend it isn’t happening.
Meet John’s Colleagues. They are here (& almost everywhere).
Disclaimer: The Footnote is a satire — an observation, not an accusation. If it feels uncomfortably accurate, that’s just coincidence. You’re simply not important enough to be targeted.
