Injelititis, or Palsied Paralysis recounts the life and death of corporate and government institutions. Injelititis is a word that Parkinson made up from Inferiority and Jealousy; it is a character deficiency in people that can bring about the decay and death of organizations they work for. The basic mechanism is that the carrier of Injelititis would try to move himself or herself into a position of authority (because of the inferiority complex), having obtained which he or she would try to surround oneself with individuals non-threatening intellectually or professionally (because of jealousy.) Parkinson thus formulates it succinctly, "If the head of the organization is second-rate, he will see to it that his immediate staff are all third-rate; and they will, in turn, see to it that their subordinates are fourth-rate." Parkinson describes the stages of the organizational disease, the symptoms from which they can be deduced, and the possible approaches to cure. These include medicinal (injecting people into the organization which possess qualities such as Intolerance, "... obtainable from the bloodstream of regimental sergeant majors and is found to comprise two chemical elements, namely: (a) the best is scarcely good enough (GGnth) and (b) there is no excuse for anything (NEnth)."; and surgical means. The last stage of the disease is terminal: "Infected personnel should be dispatched with a warm testimonial to such rival institutions as are regarded with particular hostility. All equipment and files should be destroyed without hesitation. [...] As for the buildings, the best plan is to insure them heavily and then set them alight."
Update Feb 24th.
Looking back on the past month, it seems eerily familiar somehow.
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