The Complete Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning

C

HAPTER

I

I

NTRODUCTION TO

S

YSTEMS

T

HINKING

SM

AND

L

EARNING

•Overview

• Systems Concept #1: Seven Levels of Living (Open) Systems

• Systems Concept #2: Twelve Laws of Natural Systems (Standard Systems Dynamics)

• Systems Concept #3: A-B-C-D Systems Model

• Systems Concept #4: Changing Systems (The Natural Cycles of Life and Change)

• Some Guiding Principles of the Systems Age

• What Is Learning? and The Learning Organization

THINKING IS HARD WORK

All the problems of the world could be settled easily if people were only willing to think.

The trouble is that people often resort to all sorts of devices in order not to think,

because thinking is such hard work.

—Thomas J. Watson

2 The Complete Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning

Overview

Living Systems . . . the basic unit of life