Why Disequilibrium instead of Instability?
Stability is a comforting idea. It is the idea that there is a subset of equilibria that, when disturbed slightly, return to their original conditions. But it is a false comfort. Every instance of stability lives within an artificial bubble of time, space and mass-energy isolation. Expand the boundaries enough, or let the external universe inject a sharp enough disturbance, and your stability will vanish. Unstable equilibria are even sillier, because even infinitesimal disturbances can knock them out. Which means disequilibrium, not equilibrium, is the natural state. Using the word disequilibrium suggests a steady, sustained absence of stability — the universe is one, long transient signal where every illusion of stability will be destroyed, given enough time. Buy me a coffee to sponsor more posts like this!
