Systems thinking: what it is, characteristics, principles, benefits and examples

From school they teach us to "analyze" what is complex, that is, to break it down into its different parts, because the whole is too "difficult". In doing so, we end up losing not only the global vision, but also the sense, meaning and the scope of that very element in its context: we look at it as if it were an entity unto itself. Thinking systemically, on the other hand, means being interested in the relationship that exists between the elements, in their evolution, in the connections (probable and improbable that they may be); It means moving from the category of the culprit / responsible to the logic of the conditions that have facilitated an event. In this Psychology-Online article we will see more precisely what is systems thinking with some examples, its characteristics and principles, as well as the benefits what's wrong with it.

Systems thinking is the discipline that studies causal and retroactive connections between events in order to understand, prevent and influence them at the lowest possible intervention cost. A field of studies aimed at understanding complex dynamic systems (such as humans), developed with the objective, among others, of efficiently guiding interventions and efforts to innovation.

In other words, systems thinking is a way of thinking, it is a language for the description and understanding of the forces and interrelations that shape the behavior of systems. This discipline helps us see how to modify systems more efficiently and act more in tune with the natural processes of the natural and economic world.

The systemic thinking it's a set of methods and tools that focuses on systems (instead of its parts) as context for:

• Define and solve complex problems.
• Promote the learning, development and application of more effective solutions.

At its best, systems thinking practices help us to:

• Stop that action that leads us to move from one crisis to another.
• Think in less fragmented and more integrated ways.

If you want to know the Types of thinking according to psychology, you will find them in this article. Related to systems thinking, we find holistic thinking and also systemic psychology. In the following article, you can continue reading about the systemic interactional approach following the functional model of the mind.

What are the basic principles of systems thinking? Focusing on the system rather than its parts means being able to see the system as a whole. To achieve this, it is essential to understand the deep relationships between the different components of the system: neglect some of these (relevant) connections will have the effect of giving us a distorted view of the system (incomplete, not true) and will lead us to make decisions ineffective. Herein lies one of the basic capacities of the systemic thinker: to deepen the existing relationships in the system at a given moment. Here are the "Eleven Laws of Systems Thinking" by Peter Senge:

1. Today's problems arise from yesterday's solutions.
2. The more you push forward, the more you push back.
3. Before it gets worse, behavior improves.
4. The easy way out usually brings you back inside the problem.
5. The cure can be worse than the disease.
6. Faster is slower.
7. Cause and effect are not closely related in time and space.
8. Small changes can produce big results, but the areas where the best effects can be produced are often the least obvious.
9. They can eat the cake, but not immediately.
10. Dividing an elephant in two does not give two elephants.
11. There is no blame to attribute.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Systems thinking: what it is, characteristics, principles, benefits and examples, we recommend that you enter our category of Cognitive psychology.

Systems thinking: what it is, characteristics, principles, benefits and examples