Stewart Brand on Maintenance as an Organizing Principle | Mindscape 341

Maintenance is not merely a practical task but an overarching principle essential for the functioning and longevity of all complex systems, from individual organisms to global civilization. It's a 'new way to think about things,' akin to the discovery of 'infrastructure,' encompassing everything that needs to be kept up to prevent decay and ensure continuity.

Brand states that maintenance 'has not been a subject in its own right ever' and that 'most of us are doing maintenance most of the time.' He connects it to the ambition to 'grasp basically the whole world of maintenance,' from software engineers debugging to blacksmiths fixing broken items. (11:46, 13:41)

Skilled maintainers often acquire a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of a system's true nature and vulnerabilities than its original designers or builders. This intimate knowledge, gained through addressing failures and wear, is crucial for improving future designs and ensuring long-term resilience.

Brand explains that 'skilled maintainers actually wind up having to know more about the system than the people who designed it and built it.' He emphasizes that 'if the makers... pay very close attention to what the maintainers are learning about their system, then all is well.' (21:33)

The effectiveness of maintenance is deeply embedded in cultural attitudes and organizational structures. Cultures that prioritize or integrate maintenance into their practices, such as Japanese culture or military structures with strong non-commissioned officer (NCO) roles, exhibit greater resilience and operational success.

Brand discusses how 'Japanese culture is so incredibly careful about maintenance' and how 'the military is so incredibly careful about maintenance.' He contrasts the US/NATO military's reliance on NCOs for maintenance training and responsibility with the Russian and Arab militaries' lack of NCOs, linking it to their performance in conflicts. (28:49, 29:28)

A growing tension exists between manufacturers' desire to control product repair (often for profit) and consumers' right to fix their own property. Companies like John Deere and Apple have made products increasingly difficult or impossible for owners to repair, leading to legislative efforts to mandate repairability.

Brand notes that 'various companies don't want to let you fix their stuff. They want to make it unfixable.' He cites John Deere's shift from supporting customer repairs to making it 'very very difficult and expensive' for farmers to fix their high-tech tractors. He also mentions Senator Elizabeth Warren's involvement and the work of groups like iFixit. (43:51, 44:38)

The internet, particularly platforms like YouTube, has revolutionized access to maintenance knowledge and skills. It provides a vast, distributed, and often highly detailed resource, empowering individuals to perform repairs that previously required specialized expertise or expensive professional services.

Brand explains that YouTube has fulfilled the role of the Whole Earth Catalog for repair, offering 'a dozen different people offering their videos of how to fix various issues' for specific makes and models. He highlights how surgeons and plumbers use these videos, demonstrating their utility across skill levels. (49:51)

Maintenance is not just a technical or economic necessity but a fundamental 'art of civilization,' crucial for ensuring continuity and navigating global turbulences. Recognizing and honoring this art fosters a more knowledgeable and resilient societal habit.

Brand quotes Pete Seeger, who, reflecting on the maintenance of a Hudson River sloop, stated, 'You have to consider that one of the major arts of civilization is maintenance.' Brand concludes that this 'emergent perspective' will help humanity 'get through these turbulences.' (1:10:44)