“When there are long delays in feedback loops, some sort of foresight is essential.”

“Active loose coupling occurs when a subsystem of an organization is more tightly coupled to an environmental sector than other subsystems, and a feedback loop connects environmental conditions with organizational responses. A feedback loop is present when an organizational mechanism for monitoring the environment exists, and when the state of the environment (or intended target of the organization's action) is compared to some desired state by members of the organization.”

Howard E. Aldrich (1943) American sociologist

“In physical, exponentially growing systems, there must be at least one reinforcing loop driving growth and at least one balancing feedback loop constraining growth, because no system can grow forever in a finite environment.”

Donella Meadows (1941–2001) American environmental scientist, teacher, and writer

“In complex systems cause and effect are often not closely related in either time or space. The structure of a complex system is not a simple feedback loop where one system state dominates the behavior. The complex system has a multiplicity of interacting feedback loops. Its internal rates of flow are controlled by nonlinear relationships. The complex system is of high order, meaning that there are many system states (or levels). It usually contains positive-feedback loops describing growth processes as well as negative, goal-seeking loops. In the complex system the cause of a difficulty may lie far back in time from the symptoms, or in a completely different and remote part of the system. In fact, causes are usually found, not in prior events, but in the structure and policies of the system.”

Jay Wright Forrester (1918–2016) American operations researcher

“Even at 11, I had more foresight than Johnny Depp. I watched the movie on a continuous loop, studying Gene’s every mannerism, taking notes.”

Steven Crowder (1987) American actor

“When the give-and-take loop is interrupted for so long, one cannot expect that link to stay attached. This will result in separation or even divorce in the marriage.”

Mwanandeke Kindembo (1996) Congolese author

“And Mecca saddens at the long delay.”

James Thomson (poet) The Seasons

“Expectation makes a long delay.”

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838) English poet and novelist

“Resist beginnings; the remedy comes too late when the disease has gained strength by long delays.”
Principiis obsta; sero medicina paratur Cum mala per longas convaluere moras.

Ovid book Remedia amoris

“New business concepts are always, always the product of lucky foresight… The essential insight doesn't come out of any dirigiste planning process; it comes form some cocktail of happenstance, desire, curiosity, ambition and need. But at the end of the day, there has to be a degree of foresight -- a sense of where new riches lie. So radical innovation is always one part fortuity and one part clearheaded vision.”

Gary Hamel (1954) American management expert