Non-systemic solutions are addictive

Short term solutions to complex problems are low cost and quick-acting, which can have the effect of a narcotic—it creates dependence (and may be subject to the law of diminishing returns).

The long-term, most insidious consequence of applying non-systemic solutions is increased need for more and more of the solution. … The phenomenon of short-term improvements leading to long-term dependency is so common, it has its own name among systems thinkers—it’s called “shifting the burden to the intervenor.”^[1]

#systems-thinking

See also:

• Low-leverage interventions are alluring because they work in the short term
• Non-systemic thinking relies on familiar (but ineffective) solutions