Thinking in Systems: A Primer

Author: Donella Meadows Link: https://www.amazon.com.au/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows/dp/1603580557

Dominating loops: when two or more reinforcing loops affect a single stock, which loop has a greater effect? This will dictate the change in the stock over time.

Example: birth and death rates affecting a population. If birth rate is the dominating reinforcing loop, population will increase over time.

Confusing effort with result. Be careful what you measure, as the measure will be exactly what you get. If you measure the state of national security in terms of money spent on the military, the system will produce military spending. It may not produce national security - it may even undermine national security if money is diverted away from other parts of the economy

Don’t go to great trouble to optimise something that shouldn’t be done at all.