Systems Thinking NotesJump to section titled Systems Thinking Notes

A growing collection — started October 2025

Fragments from reading about complex adaptive systems, organizations, and how things change.

From Donella MeadowsJump to section titled From Donella Meadows

"We can't control systems or figure them out. But we can dance with them."

The places to intervene in a system (in increasing order of leverage):

1. Constants, parameters, numbers
2. Buffer sizes (stabilizing stocks)
3. Structure of material stocks and flows
4. Delays relative to rate of change
5. Strength of negative feedback loops
6. Gain around driving positive feedback loops
7. Structure of information flows
8. Rules of the system
9. Power to change system structure
10. Goals of the system
11. Mindset or paradigm from which the system arises
12. Power to transcend paradigms

Most interventions happen at levels 1-4. The real leverage is higher up.

From Seeing Like a StateJump to section titled From Seeing Like a State

Legibility is a tool of control. When you can name it, measure it, count it—you can govern it. But the act of making things legible often destroys the tacit knowledge that made them work.

The high modernist planner sees the forest as timber production. The peasant sees firewood, game, mushrooms, medicine, paths, history.

From Thinking in SystemsJump to section titled From Thinking in Systems

A stock is a memory. Flows are what change that memory over time. Most systems have multiple stocks, connected by flows that depend on each other.

When you're frustrated that something isn't changing fast enough: look for the stocks. They have inertia. They don't care about your urgency.

Related: On AI and Feedback Loops