Think for Yourself

 

CHAPTER 4

Unintended Blowback

Thinking in terms of systems rather than parts is useful when considering focus. A system is a connected collection of parts that interact, complete with feedback loops that send ripples across a network. As a result, doing something in one area of the system has the potential to generate dynamics in another. And while many describe these impacts as unintended consequences, systems thinkers see it differently, recognizing and expecting consequences in other areas. To systems thinkers, these are just consequences.

For example, how most people think about seat belts and safety is a great systems example. Conventional, nonsystems thinking suggests that when everyone wears a seat belt, the bodily harm suffered ...