Fixes that Fail
Updated 2026-08-03
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A system dynamics archetype in which a corrective action produces short-term relief while creating delayed consequences that amplify the very problem it was meant to solve. The remedy and the problem form a reinforcing loop once the side effects return. Classic illustrations include borrowing at high interest to repay existing debt, price cuts that damage brand equity and reduce sales further, and fraud used to meet quarterly targets. The defining feature is not that the fix fails outright but that it succeeds locally while degrading the system globally.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Boomerang check: rehearse the long-term side effects before pressing the emergency button. - Side-effect audit: ask whether the consequence strengthens the original problem, which rules the fix out. - Alternative search: find an option that relieves pressure without sacrificing the fundamentals.
Anchor fast decisions
The fix acts on the symptom with almost no delay, so its benefit is credited immediately. Its side effects accumulate slowly and are attributed to something else when they finally surface. Because the side effect intensifies the original problem, the same fix looks even more necessary the next time, turning a one-off expedient into a repeating cycle whose cost grows with each turn.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixes_that_failverified
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