- The Primal Scenario or Basic Datum of Experience: Systems in general work poorly or not at all. (Complicated systems seldom exceed five percent efficiency.)
- The Fundamental Theorem: New systems generate new problems.
- The Law of Conservation of Anergy{sic}: The total amount of anergy in the universe is constant. (“Anergy” := ‘human energy’)
- Laws of Growth: Systems tend to grow, and as they grow, they encroach.
- The Generalized Uncertainty Principle: Systems display antics. (Complicated systems produce unexpected outcomes. The total behavior of large systems cannot be predicted.)
- Le Chatelier’s Principle: Complex systems tend to oppose their own proper function. As systems grow in complexity, they tend to oppose their stated function.
- Functionary’s Falsity: People in systems do not do what the system says they are doing.
- The Operational Fallacy: The system itself does not do what it says it is doing.
- The Fundamental Law of Administrative Workings (F.L.A.W): Things are what they are reported to be. The real world is what it is reported to be.
- Systems attract systems-people. (For every human system, there is a type of person adapted to thrive on it or in it.)
- The bigger the system, the narrower and more specialized the interface with individuals.
- A complex system cannot be “made” to work. It either works or it doesn’t.
- A simple system, designed from scratch, sometimes works.
- Some complex systems actually work.
- A complex system that works is invariably found to have evolved from a simple system that works.
- A complex system designed from scratch never works and cannot be patched up to make it work. You have to start over, beginning with a working simple system.
- The Functional Indeterminacy Theorem (F.I.T.): In complex systems, malfunction and even total non-function may not be detectable for long periods, if ever.
- The Newtonian Law of Systems Inertia: A system that performs a certain way will continue to operate in that way regardless of the need or of changed conditions.
- Systems develop goals of their own the instant they come into being.
- Intrasystem{sic} goals come first.
- The Fundamental Failure-Mode Theorem (F.F.T.): Complex systems usually operate in failure mode.
- A complex system can fail in an infinite number of ways. (If anything can go wrong, it will.) (see Murphy’s law)
- The mode of failure of a complex system cannot ordinarily be predicted from its structure.
- The crucial variables are discovered by accident.
- The larger the system, the greater the probability of unexpected failure.
- “Success” or “Function” in any system may be failure in the larger or smaller systems to which the system is connected.
- The Fail-Safe Theorem: When a Fail-Safe system fails, it fails by failing to fail safe.
- Complex systems tend to produce complex response (not solutions) to problems.
- Great advances are not produced by systems designed to produce great advances.
- The Vector Theory of Systems: Systems run better when designed to run downhill.
- Loose systems last longer and work better. (Efficient systems are dangerous to themselves and to others.)
- As systems grow in size, they tend to lose basic functions.
- The larger the system, the less the variety in the product.
- Control of a system is exercised by the element with the greatest variety of behavioral responses.
- Colossal systems foster colossal errors.
- Choose your systems with care.
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