Change has a cost for individuals and communities

TLDR: Almost all economic increases come from change and so profit maximalism demands a world where everything changes, all of the time. But change has a cost for individuals and communities; be cautious, in yourself and your designs.

Recently, I was introduced to the Benedictine ‘Vow of Stability’: a promise that, upon entering a monastic community, you will remain a part of it for life. Philosophically, it is rooted in a belief that instead of seeking out an environment of perfection, you have an ethical responsibility to improve where you are. And practically, it was historically good to have monks that weren’t monastery hopping, trying to find greener grass.

My introduction to the VOS was secular; it came from someone who agreed early on in their marriage to pursue stability as a family wherever they could. They recognized that voluntary changes often created additional stress and even as changes could create a step up in circumstance, there was a hidden cost of turbulence.

As they told me about the choices they made, it struck me just how much of modern capitalism requires paying a change fee in order to advance.

The easiest example is their home, which has quadrupled in value over the 20 years they’ve been in it. They have often contemplated selling in order to harvest that value but that would require destabilizing their family. So instead they bought an empty lot nearby, with the goal of eventually building a home they can comfortably retire in while remaining part of the community.

Slightly more nuanced is education. Their school district has consistently been in the bottom 25% of their already less-than-stellar state. But rather than move, they have sought out enrichment activities for their kids and volunteered to make things better.

I’m not suggesting that their VOS-inspired choices are right. I’ve moved for job opportunities, to give my son an education that fits him, and to be in places that support my individual and family happiness. And I’m content with the choices I’ve made.

But I was in NYC last week and it was just so easy to get business done, because my network there is expansive. When we moved to San Diego, I essentially hit the reset button, both personally and professionally, as did the rest of the family. As individuals, it is worth considering whether all change is worth it.

Perhaps more importantly, when we design interventions, we must be on guard against demanding too many change fees from those we intend to benefit. Turbulence upsets not just the individual balance but also the group; when my son changes schools, it is not only he who loses friends – each of his friends also loses him. What can feel small rapidly becomes larger.

VOS behaviors are all around. When a stock that pays a dividend rather than trying to constantly escalate in price. When a factory stays rather than offshoring. Many changes are choices and we could all stand to choose a little more carefully.