Systems Thinking
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
"No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main."
— John Donne, Meditation XVII
This page is the guide to systems thinking I wish I’d had ten years ago. During my time at university, my degree never explicitly taught systems thinking as a discipline in its own right. Instead, it was embedded within the context of manufacturing and operations research, without ever clearly articulating the core principles.
It has taken me quite a while to find clear, introductory material that teaches systems thinking explicitly. This guide synthesizes the core, foundational principles of systems thinking. My hope is that it is clear, concise, explicit, and above all else, useful.
Table of Contents
What is Systems Thinking?
Systems thinking is a paradigm - a structured way of understanding and interpreting phenomena. In science and philosophy, a paradigm refers to a set of concepts, ideas, and patterns of thought that shape how we perceive and investigate the world. It may encompass one or multiple theories, research methods, postulates, or axioms. The term paradigm itself comes from the Greek word paradeigma, meaning “pattern” or “example.”
Some examples of paradigms in science and philosophy are:
- The Germ Theory of Disease: "Specific microorganisms cause specific diseases."
- Rationalism: "Knowledge derives primarily from reason, innate ideas, and logical deduction."
- Quantum Mechanics: "At microscopic scales, particles exhibit wave‑particle duality, probabilistic outcomes, and quantized energy levels."
- Natural Selection: "Species change over time through differential survival and reproduction of heritable traits."
Put simply, a paradigm is a way of viewing the world. It's like a set of “glasses” we use to observe and make sense of our surroundings. Each paradigm carries its own assumptions, biases, and characteristic ways of thinking. Because of this, it’s valuable to understand multiple paradigms deeply, allowing us to choose the most appropriate conceptual framework for whatever we’re examining. Systems thinking is one such paradigm.
What is the Value of Systems Thinking?
Why spend time learning about systems thinking?
The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have brought an exponential surge in technological advancement. Your ability to read this blog, for example, depends on an astonishing chain of systems: fiber-optic cables stretching across the ocean floor, information protocols converting pulses of light into images on your screen, manufacturing processes capable of placing individual atoms onto thin films, and a global logistics network that coordinates all these components so they arrive in the right place at the right time.
Navigating such an incredibly complex world requires the right mental tools. The traditional mode of thought that carried us into the modern age, often referred to as analysis (which we’ll explore in more detail later), is not equipped to fully handle this level of interconnected complexity. When we rely solely on linear, reductionist thinking, we often misinterpret problems or make them worse.
Below are some examples of what happens when systems thinking is not applied in complex environments:
- Widening a major city thoroughfare may seem like a solution to congestion, but it often encourages more driving, ultimately creating even worse traffic than before.
- Spraying pesticides to boost crop yields can kill helpful predators and create resistant pests, while also introducing health risks for those who consume the crops.
- Assuming a disease spreads in a linear fashion can lead to dangerously slow responses when the actual pattern is exponential, as seen in many pandemics.
- Raising salaries to reduce employee turnover may inadvertently raise management’s performance expectations, increasing burnout and ultimately worsening turnover.
- Implementing strict drug laws can drive up the profitability of the illegal drug market, strengthening cartels and enhancing their ability to operate and expand.
Systems thinking offers the tools we need to address the complex challenges our species faces today. As the world grows more interconnected and dynamic, our ways of thinking and our cognitive toolkit must evolve along with it.