# Institutional scar tissue The rules and processes built up over time as an institution fixes problems The TSA’s policy towards shoes is a great example of institutional scar tissue that many people have dealt with. 20 years ago some guy lit his shoe on fire at a security checkpoint and ever since then everybody has to take their shoes off. To a large extent institutional scar tissue is a result of risk aversion or not doing a cost-benefit calculation at all. ### Related * [[Organizational DNA is hard to change or act against]] * [[Bureaucracies are human algorithms]] <!-- #mental-model --> [Web URL for this note](http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Institutional+scar+tissue) [Comment on this note](http://via.hypothes.is/http://notes.benjaminreinhardt.com/Institutional+scar+tissue)