Introduction Flashcards — The Systems Lens
flashcards tis systems-thinking
What is the central insight of systems theory about causation?
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The system itself causes its own behavior. Structure — not external actors or events — is the fundamental cause of what systems do. The same external trigger applied to a different system produces a different result.
What is a system, as defined in Thinking in Systems?
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A set of things — people, cells, molecules, or whatever — interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time.
What does the Slinky analogy illustrate about systems?
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The bouncing behavior is latent in the spring’s structure — the hand merely releases it. The behavior belongs to the system, not the trigger.
According to systems thinking, what actually causes recessions?
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Recessions are inherent in the structure of the market economy — ups and downs are produced by the system itself, not caused by individual political leaders.
What does it mean to say drug addiction is a “systems problem”?
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Addiction is not individual failing — it is part of a larger set of influences and societal structures. The structure of the system produces the behavior, not the individual alone.
What are the two kinds of human experience that systems thinking reconciles?
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- Reductionist training: analyze, trace direct cause → effect, see things in understandable pieces. 2. Intuitive complexity: we deal with complex systems daily without formal analysis. Systems thinking bridges these two modes.
Why do persistent problems like hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation persist?
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Because they are intrinsically systems problems — undesirable behaviors characteristic of the system structures that produce them. They won’t yield until we see the system as the source of its own problems and find wisdom to restructure it.
What is the role of the systems lens relative to reductionist thinking?
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The systems lens is complementary, not a replacement. Different lenses reveal different truths. More ways of seeing → better outcomes in a complex, interconnected world.
What proverb maps to “reinforcing loops reward winners with means to win more”?
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“The rich get richer” / “To him that hath shall more be given.”
What proverb maps to the systems principle that diverse systems are more resilient than uniform ones?
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“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”
Total Cards: 10
Review Time: ~5 minutes
Priority: MEDIUM
Last Updated: 2026-05-30