--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: inequality is instead an emergent…" description: "\"“inequality is instead an emergent property of the interactions between agents and the environment. Since this effect comes about from aggregation of a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/rich-jolly-11173_inequality_inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-proper_2938161.jpg" --- # inequality is instead an emergent property of the… ![“inequality is instead an emergent property of the interactions between agents and the environment. Since this effect comes about from aggregation of all the interactions, there is no simple cause. The rich are not exploiting the poor, nor are the poor less endowed. The result would indicate that…” quote by Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/rich-jolly-11173_inequality_inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-proper_2938161.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/rich-jolly-11173_inequality_inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-proper_2938161.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/rich-jolly-11173_inequality_inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-proper_2938161.jpg) > ““inequality is instead an emergent property of the interactions between agents and the environment. Since this effect comes about from aggregation of all the interactions, there is no simple cause. The rich are not exploiting the poor, nor are the poor less endowed. The result would indicate that efforts by a Sugarscape government to stamp out inequality would be quite challenging.”” [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inequality emerges from complex interactions among individuals and their environment; it isn’t caused by a single factor, making policy solutions difficult. **In simple terms:** Inequality is a systemic, emergent phenomenon. Key Takeaway Address root interactions, not just symptoms. Themes economics systems theory social justice Mood analytical critical Type academic policy When to use this quote - public policy - urban planning - education reform Key Concepts emergent behavior complex systems Questions to Reflect On - How can policies target systemic interaction patterns? - What data reveal hidden drivers of inequality? A Different Perspective Simplistic interventions may ignore underlying network effects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cause Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-rich-1532731/) [Exploiting Poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exploiting-poor-4367613/) [Inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality/) [Inequality Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality-instead-4367612/) [Inequality Quite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality-quite-2323327/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Stamp Inequality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stamp-inequality-4367614/) ## Related quotes > [The scale of global inequality is quite simply staggering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-byanyima/the-scale-of-global-inequality-is-quite-simply-staggering/) [Winnie Byanyima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-byanyima/) > [The inner speech, your thoughts, can cause you to be rich or poor, loved or unloved, happy or unhappy, attractive or unattractive, powerful or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-charell/the-inner-speech-your-thoughts-can-cause-you-to-be-rich-or-poor-loved/) [Ralph Charell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-charell/) > [The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-person-who-having-enclosed-a-plot-of-land-took-it-into-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [I don't see much future for the Americans ... it's a decayed country. And they have their racial problem, and the problem of social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-don-t-see-much-future-for-the-americans-it-s-a-decayed-country-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Unequal distribution of income is an excessively uneconomic method of getting the necessary saving done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/unequal-distribution-of-income-is-an-excessively-uneconomic-method-of/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [I don't know another way to try to deal with income inequality than actually having entrepreneurs and inventors creating the kind of jobs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-x-suarez/i-don-t-know-another-way-to-try-to-deal-with-income-inequality-than/) [Francis X. Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-x-suarez/) > [I made an effort to ensure social safeguards. But our economy has to grow - and Chile, with a population of 17 million, cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-bachelet/i-made-an-effort-to-ensure-social-safeguards-but-our-economy-has-to/) [Michelle Bachelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-bachelet/) > [Any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich; these are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/any-city-however-small-is-in-fact-divided-into-two-one-the-city-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“In no country does the average income give the right picture of how people live but in a country with higher inequality it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/in-no-country-does-the-average-income-give-the-right-picture-of-how/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Yeah, maybe that's the way to solve the gender inequality that's naturally in relationships: to have a lot more power in the woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/yeah-maybe-that-s-the-way-to-solve-the-gender-inequality-that-s/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [Income inequality isn't sexy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-c-pelosi/income-inequality-isn-t-sexy/) [Alexandra C. Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-c-pelosi/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their social environment moral. And that can be done in only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/it-clearly-follows-that-to-make-men-moral-it-is-necessary-to-make/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > [Inequality is pervasive but invisible. It's hard to see. You need a sort of tool to make it visible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hito-steyerl/inequality-is-pervasive-but-invisible-it-s-hard-to-see-you-need-a/) [Hito Steyerl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hito-steyerl/) > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) ## More by Rich Jolly > [“The idea of antifragility, for which evolution is the most important example, gives us tremendous guidance: o   Seek out low-cost options in your business…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/the-idea-of-antifragility-for-which-evolution-is-the-most-important/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“In the early phases, the structure exhibits exponential growth. This identifies the reinforcing loop. However, the balancing loop is effectively dormant. It's only later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/in-the-early-phases-the-structure-exhibits-exponential-growth-this/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“In real life situations, there are often many feedback loops present, with perhaps several dormant feedback loops lying in wait.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/in-real-life-situations-there-are-often-many-feedback-loops-present/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“In system dynamic simulation, this data set is referred to as the reference behavior pattern (RBP).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/in-system-dynamic-simulation-this-data-set-is-referred-to-as-the/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“The negative effects of virtuous turned vicious loops is an extremely important lesson to keep in mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/the-negative-effects-of-virtuous-turned-vicious-loops-is-an-extremely/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“7. Remember It’s Only a Model—Always remember George Box's excellent advice, “All models are wrong, but some are useful.” The feedback and delays you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/7-remember-it-s-only-a-model-always-remember-george-box-s-excellent/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“The scientific method asserts that one cannot prove a hypothesis, only disprove it. Seeing more white swans may strengthen the hypothesis, but seeing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/the-scientific-method-asserts-that-one-cannot-prove-a-hypothesis-only/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“Surowiecki outlined four conditions that characterized wise crowds: 1. Diversity of opinion 2. Independence 3. Decentralization 4. An aggregation mechanism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/surowiecki-outlined-four-conditions-that-characterized-wise-crowds-1/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“Generally, the modeler should look for natural boundaries of the system to capture the most important and impactful structure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/generally-the-modeler-should-look-for-natural-boundaries-of-the/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“Complexity can be categorized into two types: combinatorial and dynamic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/complexity-can-be-categorized-into-two-types-combinatorial-and-dynamic/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“if your business ecosystem seems stable, don't be lulled into a potentially false sense of security. Big changes can happen very quickly. Don't confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/if-your-business-ecosystem-seems-stable-don-t-be-lulled-into-a/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“Google has studied this with their prediction markets and found evidence for better information flow for employees who were physically closer together (Cowgill et…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/google-has-studied-this-with-their-prediction-markets-and-found/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“In his excellent book Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams (1997), Mitchel Resnick outlines a list of five heuristics associated with the aggregation of interactions:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/in-his-excellent-book-turtles-termites-and-traffic-jams-1997-mitchel/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“In a prioritized list of further reading on this topic, there is no question what comes first: Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/in-a-prioritized-list-of-further-reading-on-this-topic-there-is-no/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) > [“To paraphrase Surowiecki and Mackay, there can be a fine line between the Wisdom of Crowds and the Madness of Crowds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/to-paraphrase-surowiecki-and-mackay-there-can-be-a-fine-line-between/) [Rich Jolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) [Explore all 61 Rich Jolly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/) ## More Inequality quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [Inequality is pervasive but invisible. It's hard to see. You need a sort of tool to make it visible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hito-steyerl/inequality-is-pervasive-but-invisible-it-s-hard-to-see-you-need-a/) [Hito Steyerl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hito-steyerl/) > [It clearly follows that to make men moral it is necessary to make their social environment moral. And that can be done in only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-bakunin/it-clearly-follows-that-to-make-men-moral-it-is-necessary-to-make/) [Mikhail Bakunin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikhail-bakunin/) > ['Inequality' has become the political theme/slogan of our time in both Europe and the U.S., yet political leaders do not even bother to consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-singer/inequality-has-become-the-political-theme-slogan-of-our-time-in-both/) [Paul Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-singer/) > [Income inequality isn't sexy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-c-pelosi/income-inequality-isn-t-sexy/) [Alexandra C. Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-c-pelosi/) > [Yeah, maybe that's the way to solve the gender inequality that's naturally in relationships: to have a lot more power in the woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-song/yeah-maybe-that-s-the-way-to-solve-the-gender-inequality-that-s/) [Celine Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-song/) > [“In no country does the average income give the right picture of how people live but in a country with higher inequality it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ha-joon-chang/in-no-country-does-the-average-income-give-the-right-picture-of-how/) [Ha-Joon Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ha-joon-chang/) > [Any city, however small, is in fact divided into two, one the city of the poor, the other of the rich; these are at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/any-city-however-small-is-in-fact-divided-into-two-one-the-city-of/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [I made an effort to ensure social safeguards. But our economy has to grow - and Chile, with a population of 17 million, cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-bachelet/i-made-an-effort-to-ensure-social-safeguards-but-our-economy-has-to/) [Michelle Bachelet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-bachelet/) > [I don't know another way to try to deal with income inequality than actually having entrepreneurs and inventors creating the kind of jobs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-x-suarez/i-don-t-know-another-way-to-try-to-deal-with-income-inequality-than/) [Francis X. Suarez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-x-suarez/) > [Unequal distribution of income is an excessively uneconomic method of getting the necessary saving done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/unequal-distribution-of-income-is-an-excessively-uneconomic-method-of/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [I don't see much future for the Americans ... it's a decayed country. And they have their racial problem, and the problem of social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-don-t-see-much-future-for-the-americans-it-s-a-decayed-country-and/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [The first person who, having enclosed a plot of land, took it into his head to say this is mine and found people simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-first-person-who-having-enclosed-a-plot-of-land-took-it-into-his/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The more I've been able to learn about gay rights and equal pay and gender equity and racial inequality, the more that it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-rapinoe/the-more-i-ve-been-able-to-learn-about-gay-rights-and-equal-pay-and/) [Megan Rapinoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-rapinoe/) > [Communism is inequality, but not as property is. Property is exploitation of the weak by the strong. Communism is exploitation of the strong by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/communism-is-inequality-but-not-as-property-is-property-is/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) [Browse all 1,442 Inequality quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inequality/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“inequality is instead an emergent property of the interactions between agents and the environment. Since this effect comes about from aggregation of all the interactions, there is no simple cause. The rich are not exploiting the poor, nor are the poor less endowed. The result would indicate that efforts by a Sugarscape government to stamp out inequality would be quite challenging.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rich Jolly" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-property-of-the-interactions/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inequality" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-property-of-the-interactions/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/rich-jolly-11173_inequality_inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-proper_2938161.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/rich-jolly-11173_inequality_inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-proper_2938161.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa2/rich-jolly-11173_inequality_inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-proper_2938161.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“inequality is instead an emergent property of the interactions between agents and the environment. Since…” — Rich Jolly", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rich Jolly", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-jolly/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“inequality is instead an emergent property...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-property-of-the-interactions/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-jolly/inequality-is-instead-an-emergent-property-of-the-interactions/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```