(This is Part 4 of a series. Go back to Part 3.)
In everyday language we use the concept of a positive feedback loop when we refer to a "vicious circle" or a "run-away effect." For example, a husband and wife (or any two people) can get into a positive feedback loop if they start criticizing each other. Criticism from one leads to criticism from the other which leads to even more criticism from the first and a downward spiral begins.
Notice that "positive" here has nothing to do with the words "good" or "right." It simply means a feedback loop that is self-reinforcing.
Another example of a positive feedback loop is drug addiction, or for that matter any undesirable habit. Let's say the drug is heroin. The very dose that temporarily removes the symptoms of addiction (anxiety, the shakes, craving, etc.) also reinforces and deepens the addiction long-term. This is a self-reinforcing feedback loop.
Another example of a positive feedback loop was the start of World War I. The assasination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand in Serbia in 1914 led Austria to begin planning an invasion of Serbia. That in turn caused Russia to promise protection to the Serbs. The intervention of Russia caused Germany in turn to promise to intercede on Austria's behalf, which in turn caused Great Britain...and on and on. Within 30 days this minuet of threats and counter-threats brought all of Europe into a colossal world war that slaughtered ten million people.
Another instance of a "run-away" positive feedback loop is the current conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. An atrocity by one side, say a suicide bombing, brings retribution from Israel in which various Palestinians are killed. That in turn brings further suicide bombings and the cycle of retribution cycles downward, like two tarantulas caught in a deathgrip.
The thing to know about positive feedback loops is that they can be reversed if just one node in the loop changes from reinforcing (positive) to regulating (negative). For instance, if any of the major countries plunging into World War I had taken the role of peace-broker instead of war-reinforcer, the war would probably have been avoided.
Similarly, if you're in an inter-personal conflict with someone, you alone can make the difference. You don't have to get the other person to change. All you have to do is stop reinforcing the feedback cycle. Instead of criticizing them, for instance, you can begin to notice what about them is right and good (no matter how hard that may be at first) and begin to express that to them instead.
Idealistic? Naive? Try it yourself and watch the miracle happen. And actually, it's just hard-headed realism. You're changing a positive (reinforcing) feedback loop to a negative (regulating) one, that's all.
And what should the Israelis and the Palestinians do? If either side (remember, it only takes one node of the loop) began to publicly express an understanding of the other's suffering and aspirations for security and peace, stopped their violent contribution to the vicious cycle, and began taking steps that indicated their desire for the well-being of both sides, the cycle would start cycling upward.
And the miracle that would happen then wouldn't be so surprising. It would just be a very practical application of a knowledge of feedback cycles. Positive feedback cycles can never be reversed by further reinforcement. They can only be reversed by the change of one (or more) nodes from reinforcing to regulating. The good news is, it only takes one.
In your corner of the world, you can be that one. Notice where you're contributing to destructive positive feedback loops and change your behavior or "output" from reinforcing to regulating in each loop. And notice what a constructive contribution you can make—to yourself, to others and to the world.
(This is the end of Part 4. Go to Part 5.)
—jim sloman, 12/3/02 for 1/14/03
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