Whereas most research on diversity has looked at creation, I’m focusing here on diversity as resulting from the persistence of unfit, or less-fit, organizational forms. My purpose is to explore the following apparent paradox. Although consistent selection pressure should lead to shrinking diversity and eventually to survival of the fittest forms, in many empirical settings, unfit forms do persist, allowing for a sustained level of diversity. Thus, contrary to Kauffman (1993) who claimed that diversity can only be maintained by the creation of further diversity, I argue that persistence is a major engine of diversity.