Dark constraint

• A dark constraint like dark matter is a constraint that is not immediately apparent or visible
  • If you can readily identify it, then it’s not really dark

• We only sense it’s there because of its effect on other things in the complex adaptive system
• Examples
  • Hidden assumption
    • Everyone should follow the same path in life, from school to college to a career
  • Limiting belief
    • Success is only measured by material wealth and social status
    • People of certain races or genders are less intelligent or capable than others
  • Systemic bias that shapes our thinking and behaviour
    • Fear of failure or rejection
    • Pressure to conform to social norms
  • Wholly unknowable or unimaginable

• Dark constraint “effects” puts into practice one of the principles of complexity: Obliquity
  • It approaches the problem sideways, sidestepping visible constraints and goes into mapping effects that we sense in the environment
    • ”There’s something happening here but I can’t put my foot on it”
    • ”We’re see this outcome but don’t understand what’s behind it”
    • ”We get this unexplainable phenomenon all the time”
    • ”Whenever in doubt we simply cop out and say it’s a ‘culture’ thing but we feel there’s more to it than that”
    • ”Why are we so lucky and have fewer accidents than we really should have?”
      
• Dark Constraints importance: Unattributed or partially attributed effects are crucial for understanding risk in complex systems
  • Addressing Dark Constraints: Encourage participants to identify and acknowledge unattributed effects during workshops
  • Example: Use a dedicated space (e.g., a whiteboard) to capture unattributed effects that emerge during discussions