FLEXIBILITY (Distributed)
Charles François (2004). FLEXIBILITY (Distributed), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1289.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1289 ▶ |
| Object type | General information, Methodology or model |
As stated by W.R. ASHBY and, later on by G. BATESON (1973, p.474): “The distribution of flexibility among the many variables of a system is a matter of very great importance”.
This is a logical consequence of the character of complex systems of being interconnected networks, which allows, to a point, for redirected compensation of local perturbations.
H. SELYE's General Adaptation Syndrome reflects the same fact, and so does the reconstruction of cerebral networks which may sometimes take place after a cerebral haemorrhage.
Distributed flexibility seems to be a very basic property of all social systems, even those which are strongly integrated.