Impact Trust • Working glossary

Amplification and acceleration (of stresses)

Stresses getting more intense (amplification) and happening faster (acceleration) over time. Both the magnitude and the rate of change are increasing.

Details

Our Take
The distinction matters because most planning assumes linear change -- acceleration means the gap between 'manageable' and 'overwhelming' closes faster than expected. Amplification is about magnitude; acceleration is about the rate of change itself increasing. Many institutional response systems are calibrated to historical rates of change and break down when those rates shift.
Examples of Use
Cascade Institute
Synonyms/Variants
Compounding stresses
Non-linear stress esclation
Typical everyday wording
Things getting worse and getting worse faster.