Through the book, Meadows talks about how Complex Systems are present all over the world.

Through the book, Meadows talks about how Complex Systems are present all over the world.

Through the book, Meadows talks about how Complex Systems are present all over the world. She even describes the world as a complex systems itself. Moreover, the book is an introduction to Systems Thinking, and chapter Seven portrays Meadows’ conclusions about how Systems Thinking helps us understanding the complexity around us. For this discussion, do a reflection over the entire lecture, and share with the others your conclusions. Have you changed your perspective about how things work in the world after reding this book? What tools of systems thinking can help us survive to this complex universe?

Response Guideline

Post your response of 2-5 paragraphs (about 200-300 words)

Reading Meadow’s last chapter reminds my analytical mind that the world is bigger and more complex than we think. Not only this, but the world is much more than what we can model or quantify. It is human emotions, it is language, respect, goodness, and caring. Like I said, I’ve always thought rather analytically. Meadow’s last chapter tells me that you can think this way, but expand it to put it in context.

Systems thinking can help us decide what to do in certain situations, but it can not do it itself. They help us make decisions. Meadows closes perfectly in explaining its usefulness: “Systems thinking by itself cannot bridge that gap, but it can lead us to the edge of what analysis can do and then point beyond—to what can and must be done by the human spirit.”

Part of the reason I have enjoyed reading Meadows book so much more than any other textbook I have ever read is because of the connections that she makes to the real world. Though, I have noticed and even thought about many of these ideas before, I never grasped what or why things behave like they do. Simple everyday tasks such as using a thermostat, over fertilizing the lawn, and taking prescription antibiotics are certainly all things that I have experienced in the past, but through reading this text and learning about feedback loops, nonlinearity, and delays, I now have a much more developed understanding of the complexity of systems and therefor the world around me. I think the biggest thing I will take away after reading this book is that systems are highly interconnected and confusing. Moreover, trying to predict what will happen is often misleading and could lead to bigger problems, and finally, and most importantly, not only is the world complex every individual and entity that is created is complex, as well, and we must try hard not to look past the grey areas in any system.