# parasitism (systemic)

one system holding its window open by narrowing another's

- Computed level: L18 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: emergent  ·  Arena: general

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [window](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-window.range), [parameter](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-parameter.condition), [narrow](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-narrow.spatial), [maintenance](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-maintenance.upkeep), [boundary](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-boundary.limit), [hold](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-hold.physical), [open](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-open.spatial), [system](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-system.organized)

**Through:** The components work together so that one organized system sustains its own viable parameter range by actively constraining the spatial or functional range available to another system.

**Novel properties:**
- asymmetric persistence
- relational dependency
- coerced limitation

## Examples
- In the 2003 Northeast Blackout, Ohio's FirstEnergy failed to trim trees, causing a cascade that left 55 million without power for hours. *(engineering)*
- Cancer cells in a human body consume 70% of glucose, starving healthy tissues and forcing metabolic reprogramming. *(biology)*
- Amazon's marketplace prioritizes Fulfilled-by-Amazon listings, reducing visibility for third-party sellers who use independent logistics. *(economics)*

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-parasitism.systemic*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-parasitism.systemic.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*