Our morning shower is a good example of a feedback system.  The dial setting on the tap is the input, the water temperature is the output, and the tap adjustment is the feedback.  We move the tap to hot, and by the time we find the soap, the water is scalding.  We quickly turn it down, only to find it's soon too cold.  Since there's a time lag between turning the tap and the results, we overreact, instead of waiting for the final outcome.

Overcompensation is common with feedback systems.  Economists are notorious for overcompensating, assuming the economy will respond more quickly than it often does.

When a response causes the input to increase, we call it positive feedback.  We experience it at a concert when we hear a piercing squeal from the sound system.  This occurs because the microphone, the input, is too close to the speakers, the output.  The sound magnifies as it travels from speaker to microphone and back through the speakers.  Getting it right needs space as well as time.

Positive feedback occurs in population growth.  If lilies on your pond, double the area they cover every day, and half cover the pond in 29 days, it will be completely covered in 30 days.  This shows the dramatic effect of exponential growth.

So next time you want to get it right, allow a time lag, and recognize that positive feedback can lead to exponential growth.

MOVING BEYOND MATTER
by Ron Hughes and Christopher Shennan

A lot of our mistakes can be put down to acting too quickly - without due consideration.  In just about any field (from carpentry to accounting, from farming to fashion retail, from internet security to the civil service) we can make things worse by trying to make a quick fix.

I have personally known people who have lost fingers in equipment.  Others have lost fortunes in business.  Still others have lost their hard-won reputations.  All of these because of reacting too quickly to specific problem or what they perceived as a bad situation.  Instead of finding a solution to the problem they simply complicated it and caused a lot of pain at the same time.  If it is important to avoid hasty action in matters of everyday life, it is even more so in matters that affect the final outcome of our lives.

One common characteristic of truly outstanding people is that they are men and women who have taken time to think deeply about the central issues of life.  In a busy world with a constant stream of responsibilities, this requires commitment and self-discipline.  Taking time to think almost seems irresponsible in light of the host of demands we face.

Truly outstanding people do not all agree or even come to the right conclusions on every issue, but they are thinkers.  They are people who meditate, who set their minds to wrestle with the key issues of their time.  They are like dogs worrying a bone.  They won't let go of an issue until they have gotten everything out of it.  These are not hasty people.  They are not in a hurry.

These days, most of us are pressed for time.  We lack the temporal resources to dedicate to thoughtful reflection before we make up our minds about things.  Those who find God and enter into a relationship with Him are typically those who have made an honest attempt to read His Word and give due consideration to what it has to say about the central issues of life.