Understanding Capitalism v7.3 — Post-Optimization Societies and the Limits of Performance-Dominated Systems —

Author: Y. Seo (@momotarou / Japan)Role: Metanist — Human × AI Understanding ArchitectAI Collaboration: AI Understanding SupportORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7669-0612 Abstract This paper extends AI-Integrated Civilization Models by introducing the framework of Post-Optimization Societies, examining structural transitions emerging when optimization ceases to function as a universal stabilizing principle. While modern technological civilizations increasingly rely on performance maximization, efficiency metrics, and continuous optimization regimes, the proposed framework argues that beyond certain complexity thresholds, optimization itself may generate coherence instability, cognitive overload amplification, and understanding-capital degradation. Optimization does not guarantee sustainability. It may produce systemic fragility. 1. Optimization as Civilizational Logic Contemporary systems prioritize: Efficiency maximization Metric-driven evaluation Continuous performance enhancement Acceleration of decision cycles Optimization becomes normative infrastructure. 2. Defining Post-Optimization Societies Post-Optimization Societies refer to: Civilizational configurations recognizing the structural limits, destabilization risks, and coherence costs of unbounded optimization regimes. Optimization becomes conditional rather than absolute. 3. Sources of Optimization-Induced Instability Destabilization may arise through: Signal saturation amplification Cognitive load escalation Decision fatigue acceleration Coherence degradation Interpretive fragmentation Efficiency pressures conflict with stability constraints. 4. Performance vs Coherence Divergence Under high complexity: System performance metrics may diverge from coherence sustainability and understanding durability. Local optimization may generate global instability. 5. AI Systems and Optimization Intensification AI systems amplify optimization dynamics by: Increasing feedback velocity Reinforcing metric dependency Expanding decision acceleration Multiplying signal generation Optimization regimes scale nonlinearly. 6. Transition Toward Stability-Compatible Regimes Post-optimization transitions may require: Coherence-preserving architectures Cognitive load regulation mechanisms Understanding-capital regeneration protection Signal density stabilization Stability becomes design-dependent. Conclusion Post-Optimization Societies reframe optimization not as a universal solution but as a regime-sensitive mechanism constrained by cognitive, coherence, and stability boundaries. Future civilizations may require balance models prioritizing understanding sustainability over raw performance maximization. ※ Series Declaration This work is part of the Understanding Capitalism series. The series explores value formation, cognitive mediation, and structural transformations of economic perception.