The result is that the steady state is applicable to simple systems but, at more complex levels, becomes one of preserving the character of the system through growth and expansion. We see this in our bodies as they attempt to store fat. We see it too among large corporations and government bureaucracies that, not satisfied with status quo, attempt to increase their chances of survival by. activity seeking growth and expansion. A final point on this characteristic needs to be made: The basic system does not change directly as a result of expansion. The most common growth pattern is one in which there is merely a multiplication of the same type of cycles or subsystems. The quantity of the system changes while the quality remains the same. Most colleges and universities, for instance, expand by doing more of the same thing rather than by pursuing new or innovative activities.