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'The Only Constant We Have is Change', My Yogi Tea Said Last Monday Morning

Values, needs and consequently problems change. Can a valuable solution then be static?

“The only constant we have is change,” my Yogi Tea said last Monday morning. In a way, it’s reformulating Heraclitus’ “all things flow” (hoti panta chorei). So, it’s ancient knowledge that we live in a world of constant change. One aspect of that change is the evolution of our norms and values. What a society believes is right or wrong changes over time. 

I sometimes wonder what people of the future will declare morally wrong that we accept as normal today. The same way we look back and condemn slavery, will future generations judge how we treat animals in our food production processes today? 

Not only values but also problems change. The issues we face are not static; they evolve as societies, technologies and environments evolve. Solutions that once seemed reasonable (like tons of metal boxes moving on layers of concrete covering the Earth's surface to transport, on average, one to two people from A to B) may feel completely inadequate tomorrow (especially if you like polar bears, insects, or, let’s be real, most animals). What we need and what we consider important constantly shifts. 

This constant change reveals a critical flaw in how we traditionally approach policy problems. The linear model, where neutral experts deliver objective solutions to policymakers, assumes that problems and values stay fixed long enough for science to just solve them. But they don't (1). When problems keep shifting and values keep evolving, we need approaches that embrace adaptation rather than final answers. Design thinking offers exactly this: a solution approach that continuously reevaluates what currently works best. Like a surfer learning to move with the wave instead of fighting it, design thinking works by accepting that our solutions will eventually need redesigning. Due to their complexity, wicked problems can be navigated, not solved. Therefore, only approaches that acknowledge solutions may fail over time, and keep redesigning, can effectively deal with complex societal challenges (2). 

In a world where both problems and values evolve over time, design thinking helps us adapt, experiment, and create solutions that remain meaningful even as everything around us keeps moving (2). So be ready for change. After all, the only constant we have is change.

[1] Maas, Timo Y., Annet Pauwelussen, and Esther Turnhout. “Co-producing the Science–policy Interface: Towards Common but Differentiated Responsibilities.” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 9, no. 1 (March 23, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01108-5.

[2] Van Uffelen, Nynke, Pieter Vermaas, and Udo Pesch. “Dealing With Wicked Problems: Normative Paradigms for Design Thinking.” She Ji 10, no. 4 (January 1, 2024): 441–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sheji.2024.11.003.