Great essay Mike. I used to think that the goal was "no behind left behind", when it came to higher ed when they decided students could be be upset in the least. But the issue of feedback loops raises another issue. In nature, positive feedback often amplifies distortions so much that a species can evolve right past its survival niche. Like the antlers on a particular antelope that eluded to health and granted greater access to breeding partners, until they grew so large that the beasts would get them tangled in trees and break their necks, and eventually they went extinct.