# Security Dilemma **Entity class:** Concept or analytic term ## Definition A security dilemma occurs when measures one actor takes for protection make other actors feel less secure, prompting responses that leave all parties in a more dangerous condition. ## Pantheon Interface In [[wiki/Pantheon S1E6 — You Must Be Caspian|Pantheon S1E6]], one state's restrictions on UI speed, autonomy or network access can look strategically reckless if another state may not impose the same ceiling. Chanda weaponizes that expectation to produce [[wiki/Secrecy-Induced Proliferation|Secrecy-Induced Proliferation]]. ## Key Insight The mechanism does not require every actor to desire escalation. It requires each actor to fear the consequences of restraint under uncertainty. ## Relationships <!-- BEGIN HUMANIZED RELATIONSHIPS 2026-09-11 --> This entry's documented connections are expressed in its definition and related-work routes, with provenance retained in the source-linked material. <!-- END HUMANIZED RELATIONSHIPS 2026-09-11 -->