“Many real-world phenomena are path dependent meaning how we got to the present strongly conditions the future possibilities.
Even though previous choices were made on chance or limited information with better options now being available, it is still easier to simply continue upon a pre-existing sub-optimal path than to create an entirely new one.
In a very broad sense, it means that history matters.
Path dependence is particularly acute in complex systems because of their high degree of interconnectivity and more importantly interdependency.
Breaking out of the path will require either a greatly more efficient technology coming along or a very effective organization for people to cooperate on changing to better available solutions.
It would take widespread cooperation for us to globally standardize the electrical plug or train track gauges, and this is an example of how the sociopolitical domain influences the development of the technical domain.”
Explanations above were handpicked from ComplexityLabs.io article: http://complexitylabs.io/path-dependence Their courses on systems thinking, game theory, critical thinking are free and seem like a good resource to dive deep.
