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The Asymmetric Propagation Law

The Claim: Dysfunction propagates automatically across N-C-E levels; improvement propagates only conditionally.

This principle explains civilizational drift, institutional decay, reform failure, and why good intentions systematically fail—without requiring conspiracy, stupidity, or moral decline.

The Thermodynamic Foundation

Second Law of Thermodynamics: Entropy (disorder) increases spontaneously unless energy is continuously input.

  • • Dysfunction = Higher entropy state (disorder)
  • • Function = Lower entropy state (order)
  • • Natural direction: Toward disorder
  • • Maintaining order: Requires continuous energy

This is not metaphor—it is the actual mechanism:

Order → Disorder: Automatic (thermodynamically downhill)
Disorder → Order: Requires work (thermodynamically uphill)

Interactive N-C-E Cascade Simulator

Watch how a single perturbation cascades through Nature, Consciousness, and Environment levels over time.

Nature (N) 100%

Faculty count, health, capacity, productivity

Consciousness (C) 100%

Morale, collective efficacy, culture, hope

Environment (E) 100%

Budget, reputation, resources, infrastructure

N
→
C
→
E
→
N
(feedback loop)
Year: 0 Healthy Equilibrium
System at healthy equilibrium. 20 faculty, strong morale, adequate resources.

Intervention Strategies

Test different recovery approaches. Single-lever interventions provide temporary relief; multi-lever sustains recovery.

System Metrics

Based on the University Department 6-Year Cascade case study

Metric Year 0 Current Change

The Critical Observation: NO ONE INTENDED THIS

  • • No malicious actors trying to destroy the department
  • • No incompetent administrators (dealing with state-level crisis)
  • • No lazy faculty (working harder than ever)
  • • No evil plot

Pure thermodynamic cascade:

Initial perturbation (budget cut) → Propagated through N-C-E system → Each degradation triggered cascading degradations → Positive feedback loops emerged → System spiraled to near-collapse

Why Multi-Lever Recovery Works

Multiple levers hold system in improved configuration:

  • • E-resources enable N-capacity enable C-morale
  • • C-morale enables N-productivity enables E-reputation
  • • E-reputation enables E-recruitment enables N-quality
  • • Positive feedback replaces negative

Each improvement enables others (synergy):

  • • Cannot improve morale without reducing workload (need resources)
  • • Cannot improve productivity without better morale (need culture shift)
  • • Cannot improve reputation without productivity (need all three)

Harder for dysfunction to propagate back:

  • • If one element slips (e.g., budget tight one year), others maintain stability
  • • System has resilience through redundancy
  • • Not dependent on single lever

The Testable Prediction:

Compare systems receiving: Control (no intervention), Single-lever (E/N/C only), Multi-lever coordinated

Hypothesis: Multi-lever shows faster recovery, larger magnitude, more durable improvement, lower relapse.

Falsification: If multi-lever does not outperform single-lever → framework wrong.