Scientific Definition
A quick fix relieves the symptom but atrophies the system's capacity to address the real cause.
Plain-English Definition
A quick fix relieves the symptom but atrophies the system's capacity to address the real cause.
Feynman Explanation
Painkillers don't heal the injury. They make the injury easier to ignore.
Core Principle
A quick fix relieves the symptom but atrophies the system's capacity to address the real cause.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
A quick fix relieves the symptom but atrophies the system's capacity to address the real cause.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Why short-term incentives often quietly destroy long-term competence.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Painkillers don't heal the injury. They make the injury easier to ignore.
Examples
- Senge's archetype: relying on external consultants weakens internal capability over time.
- Why short-term incentives often quietly destroy long-term competence.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Whenever you reach for a symptomatic fix, plan the fundamental fix in the same meeting.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Whenever you reach for a symptomatic fix, plan the fundamental fix in the same meeting.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
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Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
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Nonlinear systems are highly sensitive to initial conditions.
Inputs combine under conditions to produce new outputs — sometimes irreversibly.
Software architecture mirrors org structure.
Working together has a cost that scales with the number of people.