(CHAPTER TWO Double entry3 plexifying’ — and itr level too. Thus complexi unmanageable with ex ives complexifying interference from every other ferates; and it has become virwally tools ‘Once upon a time, in order to check on the correct BALANCE of what came into the system with what went out, Double Entry book-keeping was devised. What equivalent method have we now to keep a check balance of cornplexity? First of all, we need a measure. The book-keepers managed to quantify the M's in terms of money, and we s (0 manage all our systems through ‘accounts. But no-one has found a way of bringing complex! fiscal picture. That is why — jons for data processing. People are re ‘ing more complex’, they say, ‘we need But is that true? If we cannot ich ation, we are in a circular trap, The mea VARIET coi is defined us the number of possible states of whatever it is whose ity We Want 10 measure Now the number will be @ pure number. complexity statesis somed Is means that be counted, so the measure we can in principle compare the example), even though 33 panics is different, Thus variety has the same everything else about the two makes unlike things virtue as money, when considered as a measure: commensurable. How tempting at this point (was it not?) to object instantly about the phrase ‘in principle’, Who could possibly count all the possible states of a company? In practice, that is. But we do, in practice, compare the profitability of two ‘0 do that was to say that there is a taken hundreds of years’ experience in commerce for the rules of the money They become game to be drawn up, ore but ciroumspeetly. ‘Then let us proveed, TEN — or some other number. ‘This “measure” seems to be stopping about in a thoroughly that is happening is that we keep h-_34 35 perception of the system. Once we ageee what the system is, we shall have ‘locked off in pract depend on its human being, is high luminate the home, we concive of a athe fen action that did no want 10 waste time inspecting fuses if state of the systent re we 1Dok out-of-doors 10 see Hf the lights in other the purpo ed PURPOSE. IF recognize electric soul, — a theostat BRIGHT. Now wha Thad you saying TWO to my very INFINITE. You can interpose states be a have to je drugs, you denatuce other less dangerous and more profitable ways of a assareness. The point to fake 18 that our ‘normal’ state is heavily atte n of variety, which may be restored under certain con saclually present all the time; itis at that variety is p eel ts stock fom some extraneous source such as a drug. So it is for the ‘aormal” {wenties of millions of pounds — dow managerial state (oo. If we consider the amount of varity that a manager is in | Physival Laboratory Principle responsible for regulating, we can see at once that most of it is aceurazy, But ihe poi Ano company that er practival joke