The PJenga Framework by
Ike Aaren Hadler -
5. March 2026
How instability spreads through the PJenga system
In complex systems, collapse rarely begins with a single dramatic event.
More often, instability spreads through cascading interactions between multiple systems.
The PJenga Framework distinguishes between two different dynamics: domino chains and structural cascades.
At first glance they appear similar, but they behave very differently.
Domino chains
A domino chain represents linear causality.
One event directly causes the next.
For example:
• a financial institution collapses
• this triggers bank failures
• which causes a market crash.
The sequence is predictable and directional.
Domino chains are relatively easy to understand.
But they are not how most modern crises unfold.
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Structural cascades
The PJenga system behaves differently.
Instead of a linear chain, it operates like interconnected structures under tension.
When a block moves in one tower, the resulting shift redistributes pressure through…
