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Résumé : This chapter explores the phenomenon of tipping points in both historical and contemporary societal change. It opens with compelling examples—from the abolition of slavery and Chinese foot binding to the collapse of the Pueblo civilizations—to illustrate how longstanding social norms and systems can abruptly vanish. The central idea is that these shifts often follow a gradual loss of resilience, making systems increasingly vulnerable to small disturbances. Once a critical threshold is crossed, change becomes self-reinforcing, propelling rapid transformations. This behavior, captured in mathematical terms as critical transitions, applies to diverse domains: climate systems, financial markets, individual mental health, and societies. The author introduces the concept of early-warning signals such as increased variability and slower recovery rates—known as critical slowing down—which precede tipping points. These insights are supported by archaeological evidence from the Pueblo people, whose repeated societal collapses were foreshadowed by such indicators.