Law of the handicap of a head start  From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search  The law of the
handicap of a head start (original Dutch: Wet van de remmende
voorsprong) or dialectics of lead is a theory that suggests that
getting an initial head start in a given area may result in
being a handicap in the long-term. The term was coined in 1937
by Jan Romein, a Dutch journalist and historian, in his essay
"The dialectics of progress" ("De dialectiek van de
vooruitgang"), part of the series The unfinished past (Het
onvoltooid verleden).  The phenomenon[edit]  The law of the
handicap of a head start describes a phenomenon that is
applicable in numerous settings. The law suggests that making
progress in a particular area often creates circumstances in
which stimuli are lacking to strive for further progress. This
results in the individual or group that started out ahead
eventually being overtaken by others. In the terminology of the
law, the head start, initially an advantage, subsequently