India in the Age of Ideas: Select Writings: 2006-2018

by Sanjeev Sanyal

The best response to such a world, therefore, is to have a good grasp of what is currently happening and to respond quickly and flexibly to the evolving situation. In other words, situation awareness and response matter more than the ability to plan meticulously.

In particular, there is value in studying long-range historical experience as a guide to the future. As the saying goes, history does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

Note that CAS’s do not follow the Newtonian logic of CGE and have no inherent tendency to gravitate to a stable equilibrium. They also suffer from the Law of Unintended Consequences and can respond to the same stimulus in multiple ways. This means that managing such systems is less about pre-planning and more about constant monitoring, feedback and flexible adjustment.