Food for thought 50 – Out of the dead end: More flexibility, less optimization

Why did Corona hit us so hard? How do we get out of this crisis? To find answers to these questions, a few systemic considerations about survival are worthwhile. The exciting thing about systemic considerations is that we can apply them to many of the questions we're currently racking our brains over. Now things will get a little theoretical first, and then dramatic – with hope for a happy ending.

1. Systems shape the environment in such a way as to create better living conditions. Birds build nests; companies use innovative technologies.
2. Systems actively seek out environments that offer better chances of survival. Birds migrate south in winter; companies tap into new markets.
3. Systems adapt to changing environmental conditions in order to survive. This occurs either through behavioral changes or, if there is enough time, through physical adaptations. Sparrows take advantage of the food supply in beer gardens; companies exploit new market niches. Animals adapt physically over generations; companies reorganize themselves for new business models.
4. Systems combine the strategies mentioned above.

What complicates matters is the fact that the environment typically consists of systems pursuing the same strategies. This leads to a mutual influence that forces all involved systems into a continuous adaptation process. Viruses mutate to outwit immune systems; immune systems constantly develop new defense mechanisms to combat these viruses. In a market economy, competitors, through innovation, force each other to continuously evolve.

Systems that cannot withstand this pressure to adapt cannot survive. Changes in the environment can severely challenge or even overwhelm a system's adaptability. The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, cost many people and businesses their livelihoods. They lacked suitable adaptation mechanisms or were unable to activate them quickly enough. Exploitation and pollution of the environment lead to massive species extinction because many species are unable to counteract this destructive behavior.