caprice

Caprice in woman is the antidote to beauty. Jean de la Bruyere

is a system which, for women, often infringes upon the rules of decency.

Caprice in women often infringes upon the rules of decency. Jean de la Bruyere

is the tendency of rules to suddenly change without warning in some competitive (natural or business) environment.

The word 'caprice' is used by Bateson to describe the tricks of Nature. It applies to the competitive environment of commercial enterprises, as well as other classes of system discussed on this website. An enterprise is 'encouraged' to rely on some characteristic of the competitive environment, and then the rules of the game are changed. For example, as the result of some unanticipated political activity by a competitor. This is 'not fair': Gregory Bateson, 'The New Conceptual Frames for Behavioural Research' Proceedings of the Sixth Annual Psychiatric Institute (Princeton NJ: New Jersey Neuro-Psychiatric Institute, September 17, 1958) reprinted in G. Bateson, A Sacred Unity: Further Steps to an Ecology of Mind (edited R.E. Donaldson, New York: Harper Collins, 1991) pp 93-110

caprice, n.All

caprice