Part of the Casswiki article series Natural science
Positive feedback is when a system’s output keeps feeding its input (which may e.g. cause the output to grow exponentially), while negative feedback is when a system counteracts changes in its output to keep the system stable. These concepts can be used to describe aspects of the human condition, both individually and collectively.
Definitions and basic examples
A negative feedback loop is a system that seeks to minimize variations in its output. It could be working to keep its output below some threshold, or above some threshold, or both. One example would be a thermostat that switches the air conditioning on when the room gets too hot. Another example would be how the human body regulates the blood pH to keep it within a narrow range.
A positive feedback loop is one where the system’s output feeds its input, adding energy to the system and again increasing output, and so on, repeatedly. An example is a sound system where a microphone picks up the signal to the speakers, feeds it to the amplifier, which sends the same signal to the speakers, which is again picked up by the microphone. This usually makes a loud screeching sound. An explosive chain reaction, or the cascading discharge of energy from electrons dropping orbits in a laser, are other examples of the general idea.
Common misuse of the terms
It has become increasingly common to hear or read people say that a feedback loop is “positive” or “negative” when they refer to its consequences, and not to whether the feedback loop amplifies or dampens variation in the output. The type of feedback loop is unrelated to whether the consequences are desirable or not, so this is incorrect. When referring to the consequences of a feedback mechanism, one could instead e.g. say: “[positive or negative] feedback loop with [positive or negative] consequences.”
Usually, it is easy to see from the context when the terms are misused. For example, if a person refers to a situation where two persons have been mutually escalating a bad interpersonal dynamic, then this is clearly a positive feedback loop. Hence if it is described as a negative feedback loop, the “negative” probably was (incorrectly) meant in terms of consequences rather than type of feedback loop. The description of such a feedback loop can be clarified as: “positive feedback loop with negative consequences.”
The human condition
Humanity seems to be living inside a negative feedback loop, which acts on it to eventually destroy all its accomplishments. On the collective scale, history is full of examples of advance being followed by war, chaos, and disasters. On the individual scale, the examples are many of those who were ahead of their time and were persecuted for it – or otherwise suffered the reaction of the General Law.
The research presented in the later volumes of The Secret History of the World bring out some of the greater complexity of the human condition with regard to feedback loops. It seems that time and time again:
- Humanity has allowed pathological people to come to power and rule over them.
- The result has been a positive feedback loop, where inhumanity, corruption, greed, and exploitation have increased to extremes.
- Seemingly due to how humanity interacts with its surrounding environment through mass consciousness, disaster has followed. Earth changes, cometary bombardment, and plague have brought the civilization to ruins.
- The destruction restores balance, in the sense that once the surviving population recovers, they are better off than they were under the thumb of the former social order.
- Much of the creative achievements of the former civilization are also lost. Essentially, the whole cycle begins anew with the growth and establishment of a new civilization.
In order for humanity to break out of this wider negative feedback loop, it seems it must first learn to prevent the smaller positive feedback loop. In other words, humanity must learn to put in place a negative feedback loop that keeps psychopaths and characteropaths out of positions of power. Otherwise, nature eventually does it for the wider population, at great cost.
Creativity and entropy
A creative process which builds and expands on itself – a positive feedback loop – would be the model for a service to others oriented mode of being. Also, such a process may be internal to a person as well as societal or cosmic. Sudden realizations, jumps from chaos into order, seem to have this nature. A certain accumulation of energy, knowledge or understanding reaches a critical point, then the system (person, group, society, etc.) enters a qualitatively different state. Such a jump seems to consist of a cascade of positive feedback from the system into itself.
A sufficient level of such positive feedback is the means by which a group of colinear people may break out of the negative feedback loop which holds humanity in its grip.
In our world, creativity also involves countering lies. A group of people involved in such an activity – such as the Signs of the Times editors – respond to the current “output” of the human system by adding truthful information. As such, they form a negative feedback mechanism, with positive consequences. In relation to others interested in speaking out for the truth, the effect is however that of a positive feedback loop – mutual encouragement and expansion of activity.
In turn, the powers that be respond to the spreading of truthful information by means of more lies, and by means of trying to silence those who speak truth to power. They form a negative feedback mechanism directed against those trying to expose or otherwise oppose them. And through their impact on society by means of fearmongering, propaganda, draconian legislation, large scale financial exploitation, and more besides, they direct a variety of feedback loops with negative consequences. Here, too, there is both positive and negative feedback. For example: Clamping down on the population and ensuring its passivity and conformity is a negative feedback loop. Accelerating the degeneration of culture and the ponerization of society is a positive feedback loop.
In terms of social and societal dynamics, neither positive nor negative feedback are intrinsically “good” or “bad” – it all depends on the context. Further examples of feedback loops with positive consequences would be: To systematically prevent psychopaths from entering positions of power, or to remove them from power, would be a negative feedback loop directed by the population – and a constructive thing. To enable genuine education, research, and growth of knowledge in a society – without artificial controls, ponerization, and corruption of science – would make for a positive feedback loop where progress leads to progress.
Throughout the Universe, both positive and negative feedback loops are part of all manner of complex, dynamic systems – from a cell in one’s body, to the Earth’s biosphere, to the wider reality encompassing all densities.
In terms of feedback mechanisms that have “good” or “bad” outcomes (furthering creativity or entropy, or service to others or service to self), both kinds of outcomes are also needed for the universe’s ‘metabolism.’ Both polarities are an essential part of creation, and neither can exist without the other. The consciousness of a being may however choose to tend towards one or the other.
Given the preoccupation with control that service to self beings have, such beings will tend to institute negative feedback loops as a means of controlling the environment, keeping it as they want it. In terms of the interplay of being and non-being, STS also serves as a kind of negative feedback loop that complements the positive feedback involved in the expansion of creation.