Nelson's Law

Note: This principle was shared by Mike Nelson during the OGM 2025-11-06 call as part of his check-in. This page explains the law and its corollary.

The Law

"Nothing improves unless it changes."

This deceptively simple statement captures a fundamental truth about progress and improvement:

Maintaining status quo cannot lead to improvement
Change is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for better outcomes
Resistance to change means resistance to improvement
If you want things to get better, something must be different

Murphy's Corollary to Nelson's Law

"Not every change is an improvement."

This essential addition prevents misuse of Nelson's Law:

Change alone doesn't guarantee improvement
Some changes make things worse
Direction and quality of change matter
Need for discernment in what changes to pursue

The Tension

Together, these create a productive tension:

The Law says: You must change to improve The Corollary says: But change might make things worse

This captures the fundamental challenge of progress:

Can't stay still if you want improvement
Can't just change randomly and expect good results
Must navigate carefully between stagnation and chaos

Context in the Call

Mike shared this in the context of:

Virginia political victories
AI bubble concerns
Technology policy debates
Overstimulation from multiple sources of change

The law served as a framework for thinking about:

Whether current changes are improvements
How to push changes in positive directions
Accepting that change is necessary but risky

Applications

To Technology

AI is changing everything (the Law)
But some AI implementations make things worse (the Corollary)
Question: How to guide change toward improvement?

To Politics

Electoral change happened in Virginia (the Law)
But political change can go badly (the Corollary)
Question: How to build on positive changes?

To Organizations

Organizations must evolve (the Law)
But reorganizations often fail (the Corollary)
Question: How to change thoughtfully?

To Personal Life

Personal growth requires change (the Law)
But not all life changes are beneficial (the Corollary)
Question: How to choose which changes to make?

Philosophical Implications

On Progress

Progress is not automatic
Requires both change AND direction
Neither conservatism nor change-for-its-own-sake works

On Risk

Improvement always involves risk
Staying same is also risky (missed opportunities)
The question is which risks to take

On Judgment

Requires discernment about:
- What needs to change
- How to change it
- Whether a change worked
- When to change back or forward

Relationship to Other Concepts

Evolutionary Biology

Variation (change) is necessary for adaptation
But most mutations are neutral or harmful
Selection pressure determines what improves

Innovation Theory

Innovation requires trying new things
But most innovations fail
Success comes from trying many things thoughtfully

Systems Thinking

Systems must adapt to changing environments
But poorly-designed changes can destabilize systems
Need for understanding system dynamics

Mike's Context

As someone who:

Worked in multiple administrations
Observed decades of policy changes
Works on technology governance
Studies AI and internet standards

Mike has seen many examples of:

Changes that improved things
Changes that made things worse
Stagnation that prevented improvement
Necessary but risky transitions

Practical Use

When facing a problem:

Apply the Law: What must change to improve this?
Apply the Corollary: How might this change make things worse?
Navigate: Find changes that maximize improvement, minimize harm
Learn: Assess whether changes were improvements
Iterate: Adjust based on outcomes

Quote Context

Shared by Pete Kaminski in chat (09:05:31):

"Nelson's Law of Life: Nothing improves unless it changes. Murphy's corollary to Nelson's Law: Not every change is an improvement."

This was among other summaries of check-ins, suggesting Mike considers this a core principle worth highlighting.

Related Concepts

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