The Erosion–Sufficiency Framework: A Conceptual Model for Non-Equilibrium Human Functioning

Abstract This paper develops a formalized conceptual model—the Erosion–Sufficiency framework—for analyzing human functioning beyond equilibrium-based interpretations of well-being. The model critiques additive and proportional accounts of life balance and instead proposes a non-equilibrium structure based on resource depletion, recovery dynamics, and threshold-based stability. Using conceptual analysis and internal critique, the study refines six core constructs: erosion, sufficiency, erosion threshold, force field of constraints, dynamic equilibrium, and sufficiency principle. Findings indicate that the framework achieves internal coherence at the conceptual level but remains non-empirical due to limited operationalization and absence of quantitative validation. The study concludes that the model is best understood as a transitional theoretical structure between philosophical analysis and formal system modeling. Keywords: non-equilibrium systems, human functioning, erosion, sufficiency, threshold theory, conceptual modeling