unintended consequences
Side effects, essentially
Unintended consequences are outcomes that weren't anticipated or planned for—side effects of an action or policy that nobody saw coming.
The phrase usually implies negative results: The law had unintended consequences that hurt the people it was meant to help.
Sometimes shortened to unintended: What are the unintendeds here?
- backfireYield unintended consequences
- repercussionIndirect result of action
- knock-on effectsSecondary consequences of actions
- falloutPost-blast atmospheric particles
- byproductSecondary outcome of production
side effects · aftermath · resultant · externalities · ramification · complex systems · monkey's paw · best laid plans · opening Pandora's box · irony · Streisand effect · feedback loops · petard · domino effect · slippery slope · moral hazard · backlash · domino
- AI safetymisalignment, existential risk, superintelligence, stop button, power seeking
- consequencesresult, results, effect, outcome, aftermath
- Aftereffectsaftermath, aftershock, fallout, side effects, ripple effect
- Indirect Effectssecondhand smoke, passive smoking, collateral damage, ripple effect, spillover
- miscommunicationmix-up, mixed signals, confusion, mixed messages, crossed wires
- wish themesgenie, lamp, magic lamp, wish, wishing well
intend, intent, intention, intended, consequence, consequences, intentional, unintended, unintentional