Episode 2- The Two Paths of Systems Thinking
We engage systems every day - electrical systems, water systems, transportation systems, and so on. When we think about the need to address more complex living systems such as food, habitat, and social systems, the ability to understand and resolve all these issues together seems insurmountable.
To do so requires us to work with a whole living system from the perspective of a new mental model. We generally try to solve the problems of the world through a reductionist model that breaks large systems into fragments to isolate the issues. However, life works as an interrelated web; the ability to understand it is lost when we break it into pieces. While interactions between technical systems, such as buildings, can be relatively easily addressed, human and natural living systems require a qualitative approach that is understood through the unique patterns of life in each place we live. It’s actually easier to work this way – once we break the habit of looking at life in pieces.
