The Power of Smallness: Cracks That Cause Disasters and Seeds That Bring Miracles

Dust can build mountains or bring everything down.

• The principle of how small cracks escalate into huge disasters like the Seongsu Bridge collapse
• The power of ‘positive accumulation,’ the secret behind Warren Buffett and Toyota’s success
• How to find the ‘broken windows’ in your life and plant ‘acorns of growth’

The smallness around us has two faces. A snowflake drifting from the sky has no power on its own, but when piled up, it can cause avalanches that cover the world or create beautiful snowy landscapes. This article explores the two sides of that smallness coin—how the persistent accumulation of small things leads to great results and terrible tragedies.

Disasters Caused by Small Cracks: The Avalanche Model

Let’s first look at the dark side of smallness accumulation. How small negligence and complacency spread into uncontrollable disasters.

Broken Windows Theory: The Beginning of Collapse

The sociologists James Wilson and George Kelling proposed the ‘Broken Windows Theory,’ which states that leaving a single broken window in a building leads to bigger crimes. This offers insight into system collapse. Minor disorder sends a signal that ’no one cares here,’ eventually causing the entire system to fail.

• Case 1: Seongsu Bridge Collapse (1994) The direct cause of the Seongsu Bridge collapse in downtown Seoul in 1994 was a small defect: poor welding. However, behind it was a ‘quickly quickly’ culture prioritizing speed over safety and a design that allowed the entire structure to fail if one part broke. The whole system collapsed because it tolerated a small ‘broken window.’
• Case 2: Sampoong Department Store Collapse (1995) This was a predicted disaster caused by the accumulation of thousands of small wrong decisions such as illegal usage changes, substandard materials, and installing a cooling tower exceeding design load. The complacency of ’this much is okay’ eroded the system’s safety margin, a tragedy caused by the ‘Normalization of Deviance.’

The Curse of Speed: Modern ‘Quickly Quickly’ Culture

The past ‘quickly quickly’ culture has reborn today as the motto “Move Fast and Break Things.” But this often sacrifices stability and quality.

• Case 1: Samsung Galaxy Note7 Fires (2016) The rush to beat competitors to market led to disaster. A tiny battery defect was overlooked under tight schedules, resulting in a global recall and severe brand damage.
• Case 2: Cyberpunk 2077 Launch (2020) Pressure to meet the release date led to abandoning quality control, shattering fans’ expectations with numerous bugs. Mature companies no longer have anything ‘small to break’; what they break is customer trust itself.

Miracles Created by Small Seeds: The Oak Tree Model

Now let’s see the other side of the coin. How small seeds of patience and consistency grow into a giant oak tree.

The Magic of Compounding: Building Wealth and Wisdom

As the saying goes, “A mighty oak grows from a small acorn,” the most dramatic example of positive accumulation is ‘compounding.’

Investment genius Warren Buffett formed 99% of his wealth after age 50. This is the strongest proof of compounding’s magic. Yet most people underestimate exponential growth due to ’exponential growth bias,’ get disappointed by slow initial progress, and stop the compounding machine themselves.

Having personally tried small long-term investments, I found the first few years’ returns barely noticeable and felt like giving up. But trusting Buffett’s advice and investing steadily, I eventually experienced my assets snowballing. The key to successful investing is not genius but patience to endure time.

The Kaizen Revolution: Thousands of Small Steps

In manufacturing, the effect similar to compounding is the Japanese philosophy ‘Kaizen (改善),’ meaning ‘change for the better.’

Toyota encouraged every worker on the floor to continuously suggest and implement very small improvements instead of grand innovations. Small activities like the ‘andon cord’ to stop the line immediately upon finding defects and the ‘5 Whys’ to find root causes accumulated over decades, making Toyota the world’s top manufacturer.

The Kaizen model is an ‘antifragile’ system that grows stronger through small shocks and stresses. A culture of learning and improving immediately from small failures drives continuous growth.

The Power of Smallness Proven in Life

How do these principles work in our lives?

People Who Used Failure as Fuel

Sometimes small negative events become acorns of huge success.

• Michael Jordan used the humiliation of being cut from his high school basketball team as lifelong motivation.
• J.K. Rowling enchanted the world with manuscripts written daily in cafes despite poverty and depression.
• Frida Kahlo transformed the pain of a terrible accident into some of the 20th century’s most powerful art.

They rewrote the ‘meaning’ of failure through ’narrative reconstruction,’ gaining energy to start a long accumulation process.

One Story That Moved the World

Sometimes a single honest story from one person changes the world.

BTS leader RM’s speech at the UN General Assembly is a good example. He shared the personal confession of ‘Kim Namjoon,’ a boy who lost himself in others’ eyes rather than a global star. This sincere story deeply resonated with countless young people worldwide and grew the ‘LOVE MYSELF’ campaign into a massive movement.

Comparison: Avalanche Model vs. Oak Tree Model

Comparing the core differences of the two models gives wisdom on handling smallness.

Checklist: Finding Cracks and Acorns in Your Life

Which model is your life closer to? Check by answering these questions.

1. Find Your ‘Broken Windows’

   • What small problems or bad habits are you postponing with ’this is okay’?
   • Are you ignoring recent signs of stress or burnout?
   • Are you chasing speed or deadlines over quality?

2. Plant Your ‘Acorns’

   • What very small actions can you start today for 5 or 10 years from now? (e.g., reading 10 minutes daily, saving 1% of income)
   • Can you reinterpret your failures as growth drivers?
   • Are you practicing small compliments or encouragements to positively influence colleagues or family?

Conclusion

Our lives are the sum of many very small daily choices, not a few dramatic events. Let’s recap the core points.

• Beware small cracks: Complacency like ’this much is okay’ can accumulate into disasters that destroy everything.
• Grow acorns with patience: Positive accumulation like compounding and Kaizen brings unimaginable results over time.
• Reconstruct your story: We have the power to turn even failure and pain into fuel for growth.

What ‘broken windows’ are neglected in your life? More importantly, what ‘acorns’ can you plant today?

The most terrible tragedies and the brightest achievements are ultimately stories written in the smallest letters. What story you write depends on your very next small action.