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stevegrossi

systems traps

Tended 2 years ago (6 times) Planted 3 years ago Mentioned 8 times

Contents

Systems traps are a pattern language in systems thinking which describe tendencies of systems to fall into certain pathological ruts. They apply to systems of any scale—from economies to projects to individual relationships—and can be helpful to identify when a system is on an unsustainable course (from a reinforcing feedback loop) or stuck in a rut (from a balancing feedback loop).

I first learned of these systems archetypes from thesystemsthinker.com

Opportunities

Thinking In Systems catalogues eight of these and refers to them not only as traps but as opportunities. These systems pathologies are so common that most of us don’t even notice them, so even recognizing that they’re traps is an opportunity to avoid them, or get out of them if you’re stuck in one.

Mentions

  • Limits to Growth

    …A [[systems traps|systems archetype]] describing how when a growing system encounters a…

  • Tragedy of the Commons

    …A "tragedy of the commons" is a [[systems traps|systems archetype]] that describes a scenario in which some number…

  • Shifting the Burden

    …A [[systems traps|systems archetype]] describing when a systemic problem is "solved" by…

  • Success to the Successful

    …the rich get richer and the poor get poorer," this [[systems traps|system archetype]] describes when, among two equally capable groups, more…

  • Fixes that Fail

    …Fixes that fail (also called "policy resistance") is a [[systems traps|systems archetype]] describing the situation in which a quick fix…

  • Escalation

    …Escalation is a [[systems traps|systems archetype]] which describes when one actor in a system…

  • Drifting Goals

    …Drifting goals" is a [[systems traps|systems archetype]] that describes when a system fails to meet…