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Two Sins of Fencing

Two Sins of Fencing

Not physical fences — constraints on any system. Chesterton warned against tearing down a fence before understanding why it was built. But there's an equal and opposite sin: preserving a fence without questioning if it's still needed. One attack releases danger; one defense blocks opportunity. Both sins share the same root — acting without understanding.

The reckless reformer and the cargo cult conservative make the same mistake — they skip the essential step: understand why the fence exists.

systems-thinking chesterton frameworks
Source: Extending Chesterton's Fence