Relates to the theme of broader ecological principles.
Flexibility - great discussion in page 501: “any biological system (e.g., the ecological environment, the human civilization, and the system which is to be the combination of these two) is describable in terms of interlinked variables ’ such that for any given variable there is an upper and a lower threshold of tolerance beyond which discomfort, pathology, and ultimately death must occur. Within these limits, the variable can move (and is moved) in order to achiev e adaptation. When, under stress, a variable must take -a value close to its upper or lower limit of tolerance, we shall say, borrowing a phrase from the youth culture, that the system is “up tight” in respect to this variable, or lacks “flexibility” in this respect.” (Foxman and Bateson, 1973, p. 515)
“But, because the variables are interlinked, to be up tight in respect to one variable commonly means that other variables cannot be changed without pushing the up-tight variable. Th e loss of flexibility thus spreads through the system. In extreme cases, the system will only accept those changes which change the -tolerance limits for the up-tight variable. For example, an overpopulated society looks for tho se changes (increased food, new roads, more houses, etc.) which will make the pathological and pathogenic conditions of overpopulation more comfortable. But these ad hoc changes are precisely those which in longer time can lead to more fundamental ecological pathology.”
“Flexibility may be defined as uncommited potentiality for change.”
“in the ecology of ideas there is an evolutionary process, related to the economics of flexibility, and this process determines which ideas shall become hard programmed.” (Foxman and Bateson, 1973, p. 521)
“The same process. determines that these hard-programmed ideas become nuclear or nodal within constellations of other ideas , because the survival of these other ideas depends on how they fit with the hard-programmed ideas. It follows that any change in the hard-programmed ideas may involve change in the whole related constellation.” (Foxman and Bateson, 1973, p. 521)
“if a given variable remains too long at some middle value, other variables will encroach upon its freedom, narrowing the tolerance limits until its freedom to move is zero or, more precisely, until any future movement can only be achieved at the price of disturbing the encroaching variables.” (Foxman and Bateson, 1973, p. 522)
“to mainta in the flexibility of a given var iable, either that flexib ility must be exercised, or the encroaching variables must be directly controlled.” (Foxman and Bateson, 1973, p. 522)