The Crisis Syndrome: The generic structures that trap us in short-term, instead of long-term, thinking. (258K)

Escaping The Crisis Syndrome: how to move from the short-term quick fix, to long term improvement. (133K)

Crisis Syndrome Recovery: specific approaches for individuals & organizations to move to a long term focus. For every approach to overcome individual addiction there is an organizational approach to overcoming the quick fix. Organizations need rehab as much as humans. (140K)

Syndromes, Characteristics & Processes of Addiction in Organizations (67K)

The causal loop diagram below is from The Crisis Syndrome. It shows how 3 systems thinking archetypes gang up to drive individuals into a downward addictive spiral of behavior. The archetypes: Fix that Fails, Shifting the Burden, and Eroding Goals.

In combination they form an overwhelmingly powerful structure that represents, in my opinion, the greatest challenge we face as humans.

The structure of individual addiction to drugs

 

The causal loop diagram below illustrates the entirely parallel structure that drives organizations to implement quick fixes rather than fundamental solutions.

the structure of organizational addiction to the "quick fix"

 

Note that Figure 2 below in The Crisis Syndrome shows the combination of a Fix that Fails and a balancing decay loop that could very well be identified as a basic Archetype: Addiction.

Credit for this archetype and getting me started on this examination goes to Donella H. Meadows (1982), 'Whole Earth Models & Systems', Coevolution Quarterly, Summer, pp. 98-108; see Figure 5. Addiction. Also found in Modelling for management : simulation in support of systems thinking, Volume I, edited by George P. Richardson (1996). pp. 153-163.

The Addiction Archetype

 

For a more thorough treatment, see the paper on When Archetypes Gang Up. A larger set of diagrams only here.

PS. I know, I know. I use S/O on this site instead of +/-. I hope you can cope.

Added 10/27/09: Hijacking the Brain Circuits With a Nickel Slot Machine By SANDRA BLAKESLEE 2/19/02

... in a finding that astonishes many people, they found that the brain systems that detect and evaluate such rewards generally operate outside of conscious awareness. In navigating the world and deciding what is rewarding, humans are closer to zombies than sentient beings much of the time.