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bookish_sue 's review for:
Thinking in Systems: A Primer
by Donella H. Meadows
Work reading.
"To ask whether elements, interconnections, or purposes are most important in a system is to ask an unsystematic question. All are essential." (17)
"The trick, as with all the behavioral possibilities of complex systems, is to recognize what structures contain which latent behaviors, and what conditions release those behaviors--and, where possible, to arrange the structures and conditions to reduce the probability of descriptive behaviors and to encourage the possibility of beneficial ones." (72)
"The structure of a system is its interlocking stocks, flows, and feedback loops. The diagrams with boxes and arrows...are pictures of system structure. Structure determines what behaviors are latent in the system. A goal-seeking balancing feedback loop approaches or holds a dynamic equilibrium. A reinforcing feedback loop generates exponential growth. The two of them linked together are capable of growth, decay, or equilibrium. If they also contain delays, they pay produce oscillations. If they work in periodic, rapid bursts, they may produce even more surprising behaviors. Systems thinking goes back and forth constantly between structure (diagrams of stocks, flows, and feedback) and behavior (time graphs). Systems thinkers strive to understand the connections between the...event and the resulting oscillations (behavior) and the mechanical characteristics of the...structure." (89)
"Flows go up and down, on and off, in all sorts of combinations, in response to stocks, not to other flows." (90)
"The bounded rationality of each actor in a system--determined by the information, incentives, disincentives, goals, stresses, and constraints impinging on that actor--may or may not lead to decisions that further the welfare of the system as a whole. If they do not, putting new actors into the same system will not improve the system's performance. What makes a difference is redesigning the system to improve the information, incentives, disincentives, goals, stresses, and constraints that have an effect on specific actors." (110)
"Aim to enhance total systems properties, such as growth, stability, diversity, resilience, and sustainability--whether they are easily measured or not." (178)
"To ask whether elements, interconnections, or purposes are most important in a system is to ask an unsystematic question. All are essential." (17)
"The trick, as with all the behavioral possibilities of complex systems, is to recognize what structures contain which latent behaviors, and what conditions release those behaviors--and, where possible, to arrange the structures and conditions to reduce the probability of descriptive behaviors and to encourage the possibility of beneficial ones." (72)
"The structure of a system is its interlocking stocks, flows, and feedback loops. The diagrams with boxes and arrows...are pictures of system structure. Structure determines what behaviors are latent in the system. A goal-seeking balancing feedback loop approaches or holds a dynamic equilibrium. A reinforcing feedback loop generates exponential growth. The two of them linked together are capable of growth, decay, or equilibrium. If they also contain delays, they pay produce oscillations. If they work in periodic, rapid bursts, they may produce even more surprising behaviors. Systems thinking goes back and forth constantly between structure (diagrams of stocks, flows, and feedback) and behavior (time graphs). Systems thinkers strive to understand the connections between the...event and the resulting oscillations (behavior) and the mechanical characteristics of the...structure." (89)
"Flows go up and down, on and off, in all sorts of combinations, in response to stocks, not to other flows." (90)
"The bounded rationality of each actor in a system--determined by the information, incentives, disincentives, goals, stresses, and constraints impinging on that actor--may or may not lead to decisions that further the welfare of the system as a whole. If they do not, putting new actors into the same system will not improve the system's performance. What makes a difference is redesigning the system to improve the information, incentives, disincentives, goals, stresses, and constraints that have an effect on specific actors." (110)
"Aim to enhance total systems properties, such as growth, stability, diversity, resilience, and sustainability--whether they are easily measured or not." (178)