The Meta-Rule of Flip: A Comparative Framework for ReflexiveBreakdown in Regulator-Object Relations

Abstract

This preprint proposes a comparative analytic framework for identifying a recurring structural pattern in regulator-object relations, termed "reflexive breakdown." Rather than treating regulatory failure primarily as a decline in capacity, the paper analyzes cases in which regulatory mechanisms remain operational while their outputs reverse relative to their original objectives through endogenous feedback re-entry. Three grounded cases (government over-classification, the Challenger launch-review process, and allostatic load), one conditional theoretical illustration (precision-weighting dysregulation), and one boundary case (wildland fire suppression) are comparatively examined. The paper also distinguishes the proposed framework from systems dynamics, safety science, sociology, cybernetics, and related theories.