Your Intelligence: Systematic Approach and Thinking (Part I)

Continued from “How to Enrich Your Intelligence”

Today we shall speak about systematic thinking or approach as the skill of analyzing details in their logical sequence and building a holistic picture of phenomena, we are considering as a task or a problem to resolve to make the best decisions. We shall begin with Systems theory to understand general principles lying at the basis of every process, leading to desirable vs. undesirable results.

People, who have no concepts of their own on the systematic level, feed rows of fanatics, extremists, terrorists and often become tools in the hands of those, who impose their will to others.

Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research.

In this context the word systems is used to refer specifically to self-regulating systems, i.e. that are self-correcting through feedback. Self-regulating systems are found in nature, including the physiological systems of our body, in local and global ecosystems, and in climate—and in human learning processes.

The term originates from Bertalanffy's general system theory (GST) and is used in later efforts in other fields.

Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy

(September 19, 1901,  Atzgersdorf near Vienna – June 12, 1972, Buffalo, New York)

was an Austrian-born biologist known as one of the founders of general systems theory (GST). GST is an interdisciplinary practice that describes systems with interacting components, applicable to biology, cybernetics, Psychology, education and other fields.

Every system can be understood as having

1. inputs (things that get into it),

2. processes that happen in it, and

3. outputs (things produced by the system).

In order to keep working, a system has to get information about its outputs and compare this information to the inputs. 

For example, a person inputs food into their system (the body), and the body outputs energy for use.  The person has to check these outputs to know if they've got enough or too much food.  This checking ("Have I had enough input, and did it get correctly processed?") is called feedback. 

All the important outputs of a system will have feedback loops checking on them.

Feedback is the key to changing a system. 

To be continued...

References

1. Bolstad, R., et al. Pro-fusion: Creating A Life Of Abundance With NLP And Energy Work. Christchurch, New Zealand, 2001.

2. Bertalanffy, L. von, (1934). Untersuchungen über die Gesetzlichkeit des Wachstums. I. Allgemeine Grundlagen der Theorie; mathematische und physiologische Gesetzlichkeiten des Wachstums bei Wassertieren. Arch. Entwicklungsmech., 131:613-652.

3. Nicholas D. Rizzo William Gray (Editor), Nicholas D. Rizzo (Editor), (1973) Unity Through Diversity. A Festschrift for Ludwig von Bertalanffy. Gordon & Breach Science Pub.

4. Bertalanffy, L. von, (1969). General System Theory. New York: George Braziller.

I adore successful people!

Love,

Natalia Levis-Fox