Maintain Constants, Achieve Changes
Updated 2026-08-22
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
A formulation from Chinese political and ethical thought distinguishing what must be held constant from what must be adapted. The constant is the principle or value, the variable is the method by which it is realised, and the model warns that inverting the two destroys either the direction or the substance. The qualification is that the constants themselves need periodic examination, since a principle retained past the conditions that justified it becomes an obstacle.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Use Constant Declaration: state explicitly which principles will not change during the effort. - Use Method Flexibility: treat procedures and tactics as adjustable whenever circumstances change.
Anchor fast decisions
A principle states what must be achieved and a method states how, so the method can be replaced whenever it stops serving the principle without any loss of direction. Treating the method as the constant reverses this, and the organisation defends a procedure long after it has stopped producing the result it was designed for.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%98%93%E7%BB%8Fverified
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