The Law of Unintended Consequences

The law of unintended consequences is the concept that actions of people and in particular governments always have effects that are unanticipated or unintended.

Apparently this was one of the underlying concepts of Adam Smith but he was looking only at positive consequences of capitalism.  Smith held that each individual seeking only his own gain ends up promoting actions that turn out to be in the public interest.  He completely missed pollution, ozone depletion and climate change.

We are most familiar with bad or disastrous unintended consequences.   A Bad outcome was observed as early as 1692 by John Locke who objected to a bill to lower the maximum rate of interest that could be charged to 4% from 6%.  The bill was intended to benefit borrowers but Locke predicted that the  real effect would be to restrict available credit and lower the income of the very people the bill was designed to benefit.  The poor would have less chance of borrowing through legal means and would end up having to borrow from the equivalent of loan sharks of the 17th century.

There are three categories of unintended consequences.

1. Unexpected benefit.  Also referred to as luck, serendipity or a windfall.

2. Unexpected drawback.  This is a negative, unexpected detriment that occurs in addition to the desired effect anticipated by the policy, program or legislation.  This effect when viewed from the point of view of a taxing authority is referred to as loophole.

3. Perverse result.  This is the opposite of the effect that was originally intended.  The intended solution makes a problem worse and is often referred to as a backfire.

My firm decided that sponsoring a program at work for us to increase our fitness; maybe lose some weight was a good idea.  The concept being that if we were fitter we would be more productive.  To that end many of us acquired these fancy-dancy electronic wristbands that track calories burned, steps taken, and the amount of sleep we get.

I returned to work this week and got my very attractive fuchsia wristband.  Most of my co-workers already had theirs for almost 2 weeks.  The bad news is I am way behind in counting steps.  The good news is I got to observe some of the unintended consequences of the devices.

The firm is sponsoring contests between the various office groups such as managers vs partners or managers vs the rest of the office.  Many of the  water-cooler conversations involve how to cheat the device and how to generate more steps with less effort.  Now I am sure that these are just conversations and no one is actually engaged in cheating.  They are, I believe, just an unintended consequence of the device; generating increased creativity.

Some have suggested putting the device on the dog.  Even on a walk with you, the dog takes many more steps than the human. 

One couple discussed each taking turns wearing the device since one worked days and one worked nights.  You could double the steps recorded.  My own Hubby suggested he wear it when he goes to the gym.

One poor fellow discovered you could increase the recorded steps  when riding in the car by hitting a pothole.  We'll know if that technique catches on when the high cost of suspension repairs is the main topic of discussion.

There are probably 20 steps involved in going to the coffee maker and pouring a cup of Joe.  However, there are 800 steps if you leave the office to go to Tim Horton's down the street.  This does not bode well for office efficiency.

One young co-op student is driving his mother to distraction as he paces the house.  To relieve his boredom he is practicing walking backward.

If you stand in place and lift your feet, the device records steps.   It also records steps if you fidget with your feet sitting at your desk.   I returned to work after almost a month's absence, I was rather alarmed by all the twitching of my co-workers.  It was like walking into a room of jitterbugs.  What neuro-toxin was affecting them?  Did we have a new case of sick building syndrome?  Was it a new contagious disease?  Should I call 911?  Had the entire office taken up bird watching?  No, just a desire to increase steps.

I admit that I am dead last in the number of steps.  I am sure I will continue to be dead last.  No one is going to want me on their team.  It is going to be grade school and high school all over again.  My activities do not generate steps.  I like to swim.  I will admit I have not done this for a few months.  I developed an ear problem and I did not want to make it worse.  The wrist device is water repellent, not water-proof.  If I swim - no steps.

I also dance.  You would think that this would generate lots of steps.  It doesn't.  I have checked the device before and after.  I am a belly dancer.  A lot of the movements do not involve moving your feet.  Shimmining in place - no steps.  Chest circles - no steps.  Layering a shimmy on top of other movements - no steps and no extra steps for layering on top of an actual dance step.  It is great exercise as you use all the muscles of your body. You are in constant motion just not necessarily moving your feet.

I walk Reba.  This will generate 2,500 to 3,000 steps.  Too bad she is on Pelee Island three days a week.  I cannot force myself to walk in the cold and wind on my own.  Also if Hubby takes her for a walk before I get home, no way am I going to wake her up and take her again.  She is over 12 years old now and I do not believe in animal abuse.

What I spend most of my free time doing is knitting.  No matter how much I wave those needles around, how often I pull the yarn from the ball or how fast I knit no amount of steps register on the device.  Knit or walk?  Perhaps I could attempt both at the same time.  Chances are the unintended consequence will be me tripping, falling and breaking my arm.  Maybe I will just buy a spinning wheel and learn to spin wool.  All that foot pumping should count right?   Just what I need - another hobby and a fibre stash.

Now for knitting progress:

The Levity Shawl has a few more points in the border. It pretty much looks the same so I have not photographed it.

The child's vest is blocked.  Assembly and finishing is still required.

On Wednesday I had some video training scheduled at the office.  I cast on a hat for the preemie hat and matching bootees category.  I got most of the hat done. Only the top decreases and securing the ends was completed at home later.

The lovely ball is a Christmas decoration I picked up at Pier 1 a couple of years ago.  It is the perfect size for blocking baby hats.  I was thrilled when I saw the balls and realized their potential.  I was getting tired of the strange looks.  Tired of mothers hugging infants closer to their chests;  tired of mothers pulling  toddlers closer to safety as I tried the baby hats on oranges and grapefruit in the grocery store; searching for the right size for blocking.

I knit up the bootees later in the week.

The yarn is Sirdar Americana a cotton and acrylic blend.   I think the yarn is now discontinued.  It is missing from Sirdar's website.  I purchased three balls a few years ago at the Needle Emporium with the intention of knitting a baby sweater.  Instead, I knit a hat and bootee set for the Fair three years in a row now from this yarn.  The yarn is finally down to a small collection of leftovers.  I have plans to drop the leftovers off for LeeLee Hats.

Friday we had our annual training summit at work.  I did not have to present so there was hours of knitting time available.  I am able to stay awake and participate better if my hands are occupied.  Plain knitting was the right knitting for this work event.  

Above is the start of the Great Gansey Sweater.  I am making modifications to suit me.  I want it longer, more of a tunic so I need to accommodate my hips.  Hence side slits and extra stitches.  I am making more of an A-line sweater than a box style to take in those extra stitches.  Also, I have eliminated the texture stitches in the main body.  Mine is straight stocking stitch until the garter stitch rows of the upper chest.

The yarn is Paton's Classic Wool in the colour Currant.  The yarn was a Listowel tent sale purchase in 2014 so the colour is most likely discontinued.


This week ends with one more finished entry, one nearly finished, one newly started and one project that feels like it is never going to end.