On the shortcomings of static cross-sectional data compared to dynamic timeline data in the value chain of things.

 On the shortcomings of static cross-sectional data compared to dynamic timeline data in the value chain of things.

I have already written several times about the shortcomings of static cross-sectional data compared to dynamic timeline data in the value chain of things.

Cross-sectional data can be compared with other cross-sectional data at some other time - which is constantly used in the media, economy and politics - but it is useless because it does not reveal but hides the following things

1. What is the value chain and what is the basis and extent of the value chain, what are its limits

2. Where does the value chain dynamics arise and come from, what is it aiming for and how many of them are there and how sustainable/fluctuating/wavy/intermittent/seasonal it operates

3. How weak or pressured - and therefore surprisingly the dynamics can be released - to what extent can the dynamics be controlled so that it does not lose its inherent power, can mistakes be made so that the dynamics change direction and customers disappear.

I have also written about putting things in perspective - that things have different weights in the dynamic whole of the value chain - and that it is often a crucial mistake to get stuck and focus on a secondary issue - just because you don't understand how to put things in a relative order of weight - a mistake that is the daily bread and butter of politics.

But there is also the error of relativization that ordinary people constantly make - not understanding and recognizing that something has changed - that the change is not quantitative - but qualitative - which requires completely new measures.

This issue comes up concretely in the discussion of violent behavior among young people and young adults.

That while 50 years ago, violence was mainly a fist fight for male honor, where those knocked to the ground were no longer hit or kicked.

Today, those knocked to the ground are kicked, jumped on, slashed with a sharp weapon and even filmed on social media - it is not about honor but about dishonor and sick sadism.

So it is a matter of a very clear qualitative change.

And then when ordinary people appeal to the fact that yes, there were fights before when criticizing current violence - then they are guilty of not being aware of the qualitative change and difference.

And it is of course clear that politics that is not aware of qualitative changes in general matters - cannot be good politics.

And based on the above, it is clear that it is worth engaging in a dynamic timeline reflection of value chains - by correctly relativizing things in the two ways mentioned above.

Developer of ethical-realist thinking

Jussi Vaarala