Punctuated equilibrium is a model first derived from evolutionary biology, but complexity theory has abstracted it, making it applicable to all nonlinear systems. This model deals with the dynamics of a complex system, suggesting that most nonlinear systems exist in an extended period of relative stasis, which are later punctuated by sudden shifts of radical change. According to this theory, some systems are characterized by long periods of stability where negative feedback loops work to maintain an equilibrium holding them within a well structured homeostatic state. This is then punctuated by large—though less frequent—shifts, driven by positive feedback loops that drive the system far-­from-­equilibrium and out of its current basin of attraction.