Attractors

Every system is defined by one or more Attractors. An Attractor is a governing principle or tendency that influences system behavior and by which the system is defined and naturally guided to a system “preferred state”.

In the example of a ping-pong ball in a glass jar – gravity is the Attractor which determines the behavior of this Type 1 System. The ball resting still in the bottom of the bowl is the natural system “preferred state” under gravity.

In Type 4 Systems there are multiple Attractors that are more diverse and complex but serve the same purpose. They act and interact to define the ideal state to which the system will tend to revert. System behavior is intrinsically guided by its Attractors. For example, animals, biological systems or ecologies naturally seek optimal states of sustainability and well-being. They respond to perturbances from their environment by compensating, adjusting and returning to their optimal state.

Interest rates are the Attractor which Reserve Banks worldwide use as the tool by which to influence behavior in the Economy – which is a Type 4 Complex Adaptive System.

Emotions such as love, hate, fear are strong Attractors in driving human behavior.