In the branding world, Al Ries seemed to have a lock on the time tested concepts on brands (they were actually on human nature), but even some of those things are anything but, as indicated with this article from Mike Schultz and my GBN colleague Dr. Dan Herman.

This post is not to bash Al Ries, these guys have already done the job. More importantly, it got me thinking about what the bigger function of declaring immutability is really about. I think it simply comes down to establishing one's own authority.

Take for example the "logic" of theology. Whatever your beliefs are, you'll see this same pattern when you look closer into any religious doctrine (Bhagavad Gita, The Bible, The Q'uoran, you name it):

1. Ask a big question like the meaning of life.

2. Ponder the emotional dilemma posed by this question.

3. Create a circular logic that points to one immutable source for the answer (i.e. God).

Maybe the reason to cling to concepts of immutability is our fear of having to adapt to yet more change. Whatever the reason, the real question is: Can we really afford to think in terms of immutability when the cycle of change is faster than its ever been in human history?