# Systems thinking Systems thinking is an approach to problem-solving that focuses on how everything is *interconnected*. Rather than focusing on individual components in isolation, systems thinking emphasizes the relationships, patterns, and dynamics among parts within a whole. This holistic perspective is an enabler for identifying leverage points: areas where a small shift can lead to significant improvements. In practice, systems thinking involves mapping out the components of a system, identifying feedback loops, and understanding how different elements influence each other over time. This approach is particularly valuable in tackling issues that span multiple domains, such as environmental sustainability, organizational development, and social change. By focusing on the broader context and long-term effects, systems thinking enables us to develop more sustainable and effective solutions. It encourages us to move beyond quick fixes and consider the systemic causes of problems, ultimately leading to more resilient and adaptive systems. To be functional, effective, and efficient as a whole, systems need to be _designed_. Unfortunately, many people fail to view many things as systems, and they fail to design theirs, letting those grow organically. This is often chaotic, and far from ideal. The interesting properties of a system derive from the _interactions_ of its parts, not its parts taken in isolation. For example, consciousness can't be explained just by studying the different parts of the body in isolation. The same goes for personal organization, productivity, mental health, and many other things. They're all connected, and "interact" in various ways. [[Everything is cause and effect]] The essential feature of a system is that it is an _indivisible whole_ and that its features are more than the sum of its parts. Systems lose their properties when taken apart into components, because their properties are the result of interactions between components, not the sum of the properties of components in isolation. That insight produces the most important practical application of systems thinking, which is that systems always need to be designed from the ground up. People should never try to improve individual metrics, but only improve parts if it improves the whole. In our lives we spend time studying components of larger systems in isolation. We look at different parts and extrapolate to understand larger systems. > A car is not defined by its components but by what it does within the transportation system. Systems Thinking reveals the properties and causal relationships in systems that do not exist in their components. The phenomenon that corresponds to that is _emergence_. Recognizing emergence is a key element of Systems Thinking. To design systems, it's useful to think about: - Positive and negative feedback loops - Effects are exponentially magnified by feedback loops - Virtuous circles - Bottlenecks - What are those - Where do they come from? - How to remove those? - Patterns - How to reach and maintain equilibrium in the system