Thinking in Systems Guide (1) – Preface
The Beginning of Systems Thinking: A New Lens on the World Taught by a Slinky "If a factory is torn down but the rationality which produced it is left standing, then that rationality will simply produce another factory." - Robert Pirsig (Here, “rationality” can be understood simply as the reason or purpose behind it.) Why do we always face the same problems? Have you ever had this experience? You worked hard to solve a problem at work, but before long, a similar issue appeared again in a different form. Or you may have tried to break a bad habit, succeeded for a while, and then suddenly found yourself back at square one. These kinds of repetitions happen because we focus only on the symptoms of the problem. The true cause—the underlying structure —remains untouched. The Slinky Experiment: The First Insight of Systems Thinking Donella Meadows, who taught system dynamics at MIT, often conducted a fascinating classroom experiment. She used nothing more than a Slinky—t...