# persistence (endurance)

Remaining within a window while a parameter changes, whether kept by the narrowness of the window or by work against drift.

- Computed level: L16 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: window  ·  Arena: abstract

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [window](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-window.range), [drift](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-drift.aimless), [parameter](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-parameter.condition), [maintenance](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-maintenance.upkeep), [against](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-against.opposition), [change](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-change.process), [keep](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-keep.maintenance), [work](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-work.effort), [time](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-time.dimension), [whether](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-whether.conditional)

**Through:** The components interact to sustain a thing within a bounded condition as parameters change over time, either by resisting drift through effort or by confinement within narrow limits.

**Novel properties:**
- sustained presence within bounds
- resistance to parameter drift
- persistence through maintenance or constraint

## Examples
- The International Space Station maintains orbit at 400 km altitude despite atmospheric drag, requiring regular reboosts from visiting spacecraft. *(engineering)*
- Neurons in the human prefrontal cortex sustain firing patterns during working memory tasks, holding information for seconds despite neural noise. *(biology)*
- The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates from 0.25% to 5.5% between 2022 and 2023 to curb inflation above its 2% target. *(economics)*

## Used by
- [essence](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-essence.core) (L17)
- [tough](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-tough.resilient) (L17)

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-persistence.endurance*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-persistence.endurance.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*