Organizing principle

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An organizing principle is a core assumption from which everything else by proximity can derive a classification or a value.^[1] It is like a central reference point that allows all other objects to be located, often used in a conceptual framework.^[1] Having an organizing principle might help one simplify and get a handle on a particularly complicated domain or phenomenon. On the other hand, it might create a deceptive prism that colors one's judgment.