Scientific Definition
Threshold past which small inputs cause disproportionate change.
Plain-English Definition
Threshold past which small inputs cause disproportionate change.
Feynman Explanation
Stable, stable, stable, gone.
Core Principle
Threshold past which small inputs cause disproportionate change.
Mechanisms
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Inputs (Triggers)
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Outputs (Behaviors)
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Behavioral Signature
Stable, stable, stable, gone.
Examples
- A coral reef bleaches at a single degree past its threshold.
- Brand reputation often tips after a single visible failure.
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Famous Experiments
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Design Principles
- Watch leading indicators, not lagging ones; thresholds rarely give warning.
Measurement Approaches
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Evidence
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The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Watch leading indicators, not lagging ones; thresholds rarely give warning.
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Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Negative feedback returns a system toward a target.
Output of a process re-enters as input.
Output amplifies input — virtuous or vicious cycle.
Clear ownership of outcomes, not just tasks.
Asymmetric information attracts the worst counterparties.
We defer to perceived expertise, rank, or uniform.
Vastness that exceeds existing schemas dissolves the self briefly.
Membership in a group is a baseline human need.
Individually rational choices that produce a collectively bad outcome.
We seek tasks where we feel effective and improving.
Competing loyalties that compromise judgment.
Value is judged against whatever sits next to it.