Systems thinking is a way of seeing the world as a network of interrelated parts that work as a whole (Systems triad) rather than isolated objects. The systems we write about here need to be assumed to be complex systems.
From the Elementary Principles:
Matter organizes in systems
- Everything is a system
Systems are not random
Systems are about balance
Systems are more than the sum of its parts
System has flowing currency
Systems evolve
Systems have a network structure
System work through processes
Systems accomplish functions
Systems can solve large scale and complex problems
Systems are complex, not linear
Systems should not be optimized
Metaphor
“Systems are like spider webs — tug one thread, and the whole structure moves.”
In a web, everything is connected. A vibration in one place affects the entire structure. You can’t just fix one strand without considering how the tension shifts across the whole thing. The wind might pull at one side, but the strength of the web lies in how it distributes and adapts to pressure.
Using too many systems increases the complexity of each
Understanding why a system works is more important than understanding how it works or how to work with it
Carbon sequestration should be seen as a system
We can only change systems from within using the language of the system
Systems in society are self-defined
Every animal helps keep the balance of ecosystems
System succeed or fail at the system level
The system can be the problem, not the tool