Parachute Paradigm
Situation where a common belief or practice is not properly scrutinized or tested because it is widely accepted and assumed to be effective, often leading to ineffective or even harmful outcomes.
EverydayConcepts.io
Origin
The idea crystallized around a tongue-in-cheek paper published in the BMJ on 20 December 2003. Gordon C. S. Smith and Jill Pell, from the University of Cambridge, performed a mock systematic review of randomized controlled trials of parachute use — finding, predictably, none existed. Their satire made a pointed argument that certain obvious interventions did not require the same evidentiary standard applied to pharmaceuticals.
Updated February 22, 2026