Reality Drift Visual Taxonomy
Reality Drift appears through recurring structural patterns. These five types show how systems can remain operational while losing alignment with the reality they were built to serve.
01 – Bureaucratic Drift
Procedures multiply until maintaining the process takes priority over producing the outcome.
Core pattern: Procedure replacing purpose.
02 – Incentive Drift
Rewards and measurements gradually redirect behavior away from the outcome they were meant to support.
Core pattern: Reward replacing outcome.
03 – Institutional Drift
Institutions absorb disruption into routines and language without correcting the underlying problem.
Core pattern: Stability without correction.
04 – Temporal Drift
Different parts of a system begin operating on incompatible timelines, weakening coordination and memory.
Core pattern: Acceleration replacing rhythm.
05 – Customer Service Drift
Support systems optimize for routing and containment until resolving the problem becomes secondary.
Core pattern: Service replacing help.
Related Framework Concepts
Core Concepts: