Maintaining The Status Quo

One of my favorite movies is National Treasure. I am a history fan and enjoy stories that involve solving a puzzle so it is right up my alley. Towards the end of the movie as the cat and mouse game with the bad guys comes to its climax there are a few lines about maintaining the status quo that have always stuck with me. The good guys and bad guys are working together because they both have a piece of the puzzle. 
Patrick: Look, cooperation only lasts as long as the status quo remains unchanged. As soon as this guy gets where this thing ends, he won't need you anymore. Or any of us.
Ben: So we find a way to make sure the status quo changes in our favor.
Status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs. This idea of maintaining the status quo to retain your position, or your bargaining power is all to common. Individuals want to maintain everything  they currently have and expect in a negotiation the other side concede to their wishes. Of course the other side is also wanting the same thing. 

You see this in politics and many areas of our society today. People want things to change, but they want others to do the changing. Maintaining the status quo is rarely a good thing. Innovation, progress, changes in society, all of it comes only from challenging the status quo. Status quo means the existing state of affairs, when we look around, what affairs are we satisfied with their current state? 

Risk to maintain the status quo

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