10 Concepts that explains the modern world

1. 10 Concepts that
explains the modern
world
Prepared by: Akash
Agnihotri
1

2. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 2

3. Parkinson’s Law
Parkinson's law is an axiom that states,
"Work expands so as to fill the time
available for its completion". The term
was coined by Cyril Northcote
Parkinson in a humorous essay he
wrote for “The Economist” in 1955.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri
3

4. Interesting Stress Curver
Parkinson's law is an axiom that states,
"Work expands so as to fill the time
available for its completion". The term
was coined by Cyril Northcote
Parkinson in a humorous essay he
wrote for “The Economist” in 1955.
Work expands so as to fill the time available for its
completion Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 4

5. Parkinson’s Law can mean:
• Things become harder to complete when more
time is given to complete it.
• You take longer than necessary to complete a
task or you procrastinate and complete the task
right before the due date.
• The amount of work required for something
increases so that it consumes any amount of
that may be allotted to it.
• The duration of public administration,
bureaucracy, and officialdom expands to fill its
allotted time span, regardless of the amount of
work to be done.
• The number of subordinates increases at a fixed
rate regardless of the amount of work produced.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 5

6. Parkinson’s Law Example:
• Companies become bigger and worse over
time. Clerks manufacture work for each
other as overall capacity dips. When British
Navy ships went down from 68 to 20,
officials increased by 78%.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 6

7. Next Concepts
•Chesterton’s Fence
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9. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 9

10. Chesterton’s Fence
Chesterton's Fence is a principle that
says you should not make changes until
you understand the reasoning behind
the current state of affairs.
It was coined by English author and
journalist G. K. Chesterton in his 1929
book The Thing: Why I Am a Catholic..
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 10

11. Chesterton’s Fence:
Principle says that
• Things Change should not be made until the
reasoning behind the current state of affairs is
understood
• Understanding the rationale behind previous
decisions is a core component of making great
decisions
• If we don't understand how we got “here,” we
run the risk of making things much worse
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 11

12. Chesterton’s Fence
If you don’t know what an old
custom does, don’t touch it. It may
be holding back problems you’re
completely unaware of. You’ve not
seen the wolves yet because of the
very fence you’re about to
demolish.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 12

13. Next Concepts
•The Medici Effect
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15. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 15

16. The Medici Effect
The Medici effect is the idea that
diversity leads to increased creativity
and innovation.
The term comes from a book of the
same name by Frans Johansson.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 16

17. The Medici Effect
• The Medici effect explains how innovation
happens when ideas and people from different
fields collaborate.
• Also, shows how breakthrough ideas often occur
when concepts from one field are brought into a
new, unfamiliar territory.
• It also offers examples of how to turn ideas into
path-breaking innovations.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 17

18. The Medici Effect outlines four
steps
•Expose yourself to a range of
cultures.
•Brainstorm solutions to problems
with a diverse group of thinkers.
•Break away from entrenched ways
of thinking.
•Look for radical solutions that may
change lives.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 18

19. The Medici Effect
Sculptors, painters, and architects
converged in Florence as the
Medici were funding the artists.
Their proximity led to a fertile
dialogue which, in turn, led to the
Renaissance. The internet will
amplify this cross-pollination of
ideas.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 19

20. Next Concept
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
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21. Image: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/medici-effect-frans-johansson-2006-pavan-soni/
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 21

22. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 22

23. The Centipede’s Dilemma
"The Centipede's Dilemma" is a short
poem that describes a psychological
effect called the centipede effect or
centipede syndrome.
The centipede effect occurs when a
normally automatic or unconscious
activity is disrupted by conscious
thought of it.
For example, players and sportsmen
who think too closely about their actions
can find their performance impaired.
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24. The Centipede’s Dilemma
• The poem is about how thinking too much about
something you normally do can make it difficult
to perform the task.
• For example, "A centipede was happy - quite!
Said, 'Pray, which leg moves after which?' Not
knowing how to run".
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri

25. The Centipede’s Dilemma
•The moral of the story "The
Centipede" by Rony V. Diaz is "Do
not do to others what others can
do to you".
•The story is a metaphor for how
humans can get in their own way
by overthinking things.
•The story suggests that it's better
to trust our instincts and not
overanalyze every little thing.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 25

26. The Centipede’s Dilemma
Ask a centipede which one of its
hundred legs moves the fastest and
it forgets how to move. Reflecting
on what we normally do without
thought ironically worsens
performance. A culture of endless
self-reflection, therapy, and navel
gazing is eroding important life
skills.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 26

27. Next Concept
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
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28. Image: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CentipedesDilemma
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29. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 29

30. Tyranny of Small Decisions
The tyranny of small decisions is a
phenomenon that occurs when a series
of small decisions, individually
insignificant, cumulatively result in a
larger and significant outcome that is
neither optimal nor desired.
These small decisions, in isolation, may
seem perfectly logical and
understandable.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 30

31. Tyranny of Small Decisions
The tyranny of small decisions can derail
grand strategies slowly and often
imperceptibly.
For example, the smallness of individual
transactions may encourage irrational
consumer choice, because they are too
small to justify the effort of securing good
market information.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 31

32. Tyranny of Small Decisions
The word “tyranny” suggests a
behavioral pattern that occurs more
than just occasionally. The tyranny
of small decisions specifies not only
the behavior (choice) but also its
consequence (negative outcomes).
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 32

33. Next Concept
•The Zebra Effect
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34. Image: https://sketchplanations.com/the-tyranny-of-small-decisions
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri
34

35. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 35

36. The Zebra Effect
Zebras are hard to individually study as
it's nearly impossible to track one of
them for long (lost in the striped chaos).
So scientists once put a big red dot on
one zebra so he could be tracked &
studied.
Lions zeroed in on him and hunted him
with ease.
Getting lost among others is a survival
mechanism. Hence the human desire to
conform.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 36

37. The Zebra Effect
The Zebra Effect is a business model
that promotes collaboration,
sustainability, and ethical purpose.
It's a contrast to the unicorn model,
which focuses on profit and disruption.
The idea is that companies can benefit
from forming partnerships with similar
organizations to overcome challenges
and achieve mutual success
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 37

38. The Zebra Effect
In simple terms, the "zebra effect" refers to
a phenomenon where stripes, like those on
a zebra, can confuse or deter predators,
such as flies or lions.
The stripes may make it hard for predators
to single out an individual zebra from the
herd, making it less likely to be attacked.
This camouflage-like effect helps zebras
blend in with each other and their
surroundings, increasing their chances of
survival.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 38

39. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 39

40. Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
The executive head can’t implement his
ideas on ground because the
bureaucrats are closer to it, and have
an agenda of their own.
The Tzar of Russia had to deal with the
Deep State too.
Nicholas II: “I never ruled Russia.
10,000 clerks ruled Russia.”
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 40

41. Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
“The Ruler Can't Rule" is a phrase often
used to describe situations where a
leader or authority figure faces
significant challenges in effectively
governing or controlling a population.
This phrase reflects the idea that
governing is not simply about issuing
orders or mandates, but also about
securing the consent, cooperation, and
support of those being governed.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 41

42. Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
In simple terms, “The Ruler Can't Rule"
means that sometimes leaders or bosses
can't control things as much as they'd like
to.
This could happen because people don't
agree with them, they resist the leader's
decisions, or because society is too
complicated to control easily.
It shows that being in charge isn't just about
giving orders, but also about getting people
to support you and dealing with all the
different problems that come up.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 42

43. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 43

44. Gall’s Law
A complex system that works is
invariably found to have evolved from a
simple system that worked.
Only fools and modern technocrats try
to create complex systems from
scratch.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 44

45. Gall’s Law
Gall's Law states that all complex
systems that work evolved from simpler
systems that worked.
If you want to build a complex system
that works, build a simpler system first,
and then improve it over time.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 45

46. Gall’s Law
This law, proposed by John Gall in his
book "Systemantics: How Systems
Really Work and How They Fail,"
essentially suggests that successful
complex systems didn't start out
complex; rather, they began as simpler
systems that were effective and
gradually evolved over time through
incremental changes and iterations.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 46

47. Gall’s Law
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 47

48. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 48

49. Minimal Self Hypothesis
Narcissism is a “strategic retreat” into
the safety of one’s own self.
When the future looks random,
inexplicable, and informationally
overwhelming, people enter survival
mode.
The self becomes “minimal” to reduce
its surface area to pain.
People today are giving up on
commitment of all sorts to conserve
energy for vague and upcoming
disasters.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 49

50. Minimal Self Hypothesis
This hypothesis suggests that this basic
sense of self is not dependent on
complex cognitive processes or higher-
level thinking but is instead a
foundational aspect of human
experience.
It helps us navigate the world and
interact with others by providing a
sense of individual identity and agency.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 50

51. Minimal Self Hypothesis
The Minimal Self Hypothesis is the idea
that every person has a basic
understanding of who they are. It's like
a little voice inside us that helps us
know we're different from others and
have our own thoughts and actions.
This sense of self is really important
because it helps us make sense of the
world and how we fit into it.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 51

52. 10 Concepts that explains the modern
world
•Parkinson’s Law
•Chesterton’s Fence
•The Medici Effect
•The Centipede’s Dilemma
•Tyranny of Small Decisions
•The Zebra Effect
•Why The Ruler Can’t Rule
•Gall’s Law
•Minimal Self Hypothesis
•Tetris Syndrome
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 52

53. Tetris Syndrome
The world will eventually start looking
like Tetris blocks if you play the game
too much.
What we do most often becomes the
metaphor through which we look at the
world.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 53

54. Tetris Syndrome
Tetris Effect is a phenomenon that
occurs when someone spends a lot of
time and effort playing the video game
Tetris, which can alter their thoughts,
experiences, and dreams.
People who play Tetris for long periods
of time may see Tetris pieces in their
mind or in their dreams, even when they
close their eyes or walk away from the
game.
For example, they might see falling
blocks in their dreams or notice square
windows and rectangular doors in the
real world.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 54

55. Take Home Message
Most people today are addicted to their
2D phones - and this will hurt the
general aptitude for dealing with the 3D
world.
Prepared by: Akash Agnihotri 55