The Latching Ratchet

Evolution isn't a continuous forward march. It's a ratchet—a Dynamic leap forward, then a static latch to hold the gain.

The philosopher Robert Pirsig observed this pattern at the molecular level: DNA, the Dynamic molecule, tries everything, constantly experimenting with new combinations. Protein, the static molecule, surrounds and protects it from heat, light, and chemical attack that would destroy its sensitivity. "These two kinds of molecules, working together," Pirsig writes, "are all there is in some viruses, which are the simplest forms of life." The pattern continues upward through all evolution: bones, shells, hide, fur, burrows, clothes, houses, villages, rituals, symbols, laws, libraries—all are static latches preventing evolutionary degeneration.

Sometimes a Dynamic advance finds no latching mechanism and slips back. Sometimes a static pattern becomes so powerful it prohibits any Dynamic moves forward. In both cases, evolution halts. Progress requires both: the courage to leap and the wisdom to hold what's been gained.