# Why bad systems persist

All political, social, and interpersonal systems convey and reinforce the [appearance](image.md) of accomplishing a good [purpose](purpose.md).

Bad systems are rarely created [maliciously](morality-evil.md) with a highly [distorted image](image-distortion.md). More often, they start good and turn bad. At least, they start as good as [human nature](humanity.md) can [make](creations.md) it.

By "bad", something has been [purposed](purpose.md) or repurposed to the point that it doesn't [add legitimate value](meaning.md), [foster growth](people-changes.md), or inspire [moral behavior](morality.md). The causes are from evil or incompetence and don't have to be [intentional](purpose.md). But, [evil](morality-evil.md) people can (and eventually do if when they amass enough [power](power.md)) direct a group's [purpose](purpose.md) to a malicious [end](results.md). This begins when the entity starts acting toward the best interests of the [leadership](groups-large.md) instead of the group ("realpolitik").

APPLICATION: The distinction between [evil](morality-evil.md) and incompetent leaders comes through intent. We can't see intent directly, but we *can* see who suffers in the system. Generally, very specific people suffering unfairly comes from evil, while everyone suffering is generally from incompetence.

Tragically, the worst bad systems were once serving a highly necessary (and often [virtuous](morality.md)) [purpose](purpose.md). Many times, they'll outlive their original [goals](purpose.md) (e.g., "[awareness](awareness.md)" of a disease or fighting an [injustice](morality-justice.md)) and will incessantly recycle a [trend](trends.md) into obsolescence.

A bad system has clear indicators:

- Individuals who want to advance self-interested [purposes](purpose.md) must frequently [do](results.md) very specific, unusual things they wouldn't have done otherwise.
- The most [creative](mind-creativity.md) or [productive](results.md) members [loyal](trust.md) to the group can't work as hard as they want or create better solutions.
- Any [safety](safety.md) measures either don't work or aren't honored.
- [Measurements](math.md) to judge merit in the system are easy to cheat at, and most members do.
- Leaders have no motivation to value merit, so they promote people who fit their [preferences](humanity.md). Over time, all the leadership will look eerily similar because they've all been [close friends](people-friends.md) for a long time.
- People are [unsafe](safety.md) or [dying](mind-feelings-fear.md), but the leaders either don't acknowledge it or [shift blame](image-distortion.md).
- The [image](image.md) of the [organization](groups-large.md) as seen from outside is vastly different from [the reality](reality.md) inside it.
- The [documentation and communication](language.md) is vague or difficult to [understand](understanding.md), and often obsolete.
- Any processes or systems have a slow response time or are utterly insufficient for what they're supposed to do.
- The leadership is unusually [young](maturity.md), unusually [related](people-family.md) to the rest of the leadership, or all share membership of a smaller and unrelated special interest group.

APPLICATION: The more specific and odd a system's mandatory activities for success are, the worse the system is.

One of the most frequent behaviors of bad systems is to suppress better solutions to [problems](purpose.md) they may not provide themselves. That way, they can continue benefiting from a less sufficient service:

- Big ice worked very hard to prevent refrigerators, including deceptive [advertising campaigns](marketing.md) that implied children would get trapped inside and die.
- A simple cure for cancer, if it exists, would never be as profitable as [all the treatments](body-4_health.md).
- [Tax filing](money-accounting.md) services in the USA presently work to prevent free tax filing services through the government.

APPLICATION: Scandals are common because leaders have to enforce an [image](image.md) of values, but they're human and fallible.

This has been divided for convenience:

1. [How bad systems emerge](mgmt-badsystems-1_causes.md)
2. [How they grow](mgmt-badsystems-2_growth.md)
3. [How they face opposition](mgmt-badsystems-3_conflicts.md)
4. [How they lose power](mgmt-badsystems-4_decline.md)