Shirky principle

proper noun

The idea that institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Shirky principle
  1. The idea that institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution.

Origin

Named after the American technology writer Clay Shirky.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Shirky principle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shirky%20principle

MLA

“Shirky principle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shirky%20principle. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shirky principle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shirky%20principle.

Source: Shirky principle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.