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stevegrossi

the purpose of a system is what it does

Tended 5 months ago (3 times) Planted 3 years ago Mentioned 3 times

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This systems thinking insight comes from Stafford Beer and suggests that when looking at a system that seems broken or in need of change, it’s essential to look at what the system is actually accomplishing because that’s where the resistance to change is going to come from. As a corollary, the purpose of a system isn’t always its stated purpose.

Alternate Formulations

All organizations are perfectly designed to get the results they get.
—Arthur Jones

To the extent that people are systems, I’d consider this bit of advice from Maya Angelou a formulation of POSIWID:

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

“Shows” is the key word here: a person’s actions are a more accurate reflection of who they are than their words.

Further Reading

Mentions

  • Manufactured time scarcity

    …unnecessary to do their jobs, serves a foundational (but unacknowledged) [[the purpose of a system is what it does|purpose]] for the economy as a whole: it creates an…

  • systems

    …the system's purpose can change over time and is [[the purpose of a system is what it does|not necessarily the system's _stated_ purpose]]. ### Self-Preservation: The…

  • mass incarceration

    …its only ostensible justification. So why does mass incarceration continue? [[the purpose of a system is what it does]], so we should look and what effect mass incarceration actually…