What Is Whole Systems Thinking?

[JohnUbele]

"...Whole Systems Thinking is a method to understand how things (elements and systems) are related, and how they influence one another within a whole. An example of systems thinking is how elements like water, sun, soil, air, plants, animals and human beings interact and support one another as a system..."

Source:
https://sustain.ok.ubc.ca/policies/whol ... hat-is-it/

[Will Williams]

"...Whole Systems Thinking is a method to understand how things (elements and systems) are related, and how they influence one another within a whole. An example of systems thinking is how elements like water, sun, soil, air, plants, animals and human beings interact and support one another as a system..."

Source:
https://sustain.ok.ubc.ca/policies/whol ... hat-is-it/

It's not clear how Whole Systems Thinking can deal with the problems our race faces. It appears that this diagram from that academic site deals with everything except what is important:

[JohnUbele]

I was introduced to the term of "Whole Systems Thinking" when I took my Permaculture Design Course at the end of 2012. Permaculture puts great emphasis on this concept. I really didn't understand it very much at first, but after trying to do some Permaculture things on my own, it began to fit together and make more sense.

I think Whole Systems Thinking is something that a lot of people do at least a little bit, but don't think about it. The best example I can think of would be someone owning a business. If it's a smaller business and the owner has maybe 10 to 20 employees, he has to think about different things and prepare for different things. He also has to understand how the different parts of his business fit together and how it will impact him and his business if he loses an employee.

When I worked for my father's construction company from '96 to '04, I had to be responsible for a lot of things. During that period we had anywhere from 25 to 37 employees, usually I was managing about half of the company. There were times when I had to manage the whole company. I think it was during time that I actually experienced or had to practice Whole Systems Thinking even though I didn't know the term.

[JohnUbele]

This article talks a little bit about Whole Systems Thinking in Permaculture:

Permaculture: The Design Arm of a Paradigm Shift
https://tobyhemenway.com/908-permacultu ... igm-shift/