A cognate of this is what Gernot Heiser of seL4 fame calls the "McNamara Effect" on his homepage: https://gernot-heiser.org/

> The first step is to measure whatever can be easily measured. This is ok as far as it goes.

> The second step is to disregard that which can't be easily measured or to give it an arbitrary quantitative value. This is artificial and misleading.

> The third step is to presume that what can't be measured easily really isn't important. This is blindness.

> The fourth step is to say that what can't be measured really doesn't exist. This is suicide.