Thinking Systems Blog

Systems view of problems

August 22, 2022Define self

Systems view of problems. A system view of a problem differs from how most people think of a problem. The common way of thinking stems from an individualistic cause-and-effect model. In our current culture, there is a quick-fix desire as well. Thus,

Elders and Interdependency

August 15, 2022Uncategorized

Elders and Interdependency To understand human nature, it's useful to think in terms of evolution. Why would a species need elders or have an interdependency with them? For example, what is the benefit to a species of having the females live a long t

3 Steps to Great Decisions

July 22, 2022Anxiety

Great decision-making always involves emotional processes and some level of value judgement. After all, decision-making is about choosing, and what we choose is based on subjective values of what’s better or worse for the situation. Decisions are b

Use Regrets to Grow

July 11, 2022Uncategorized

Use the power of regrets to grow. Regret, like other emotions, can be a useful source of information to help one grow. It is defined as a feeling of sadness or disappointment over some past event. We can use regrets to grow because it can foster refl

Distress signals others to help.

June 12, 2022Uncategorized

Distress behaviour is a signal for help Why would anyone like me more if they think I’m stressed? I certainly don’t have big puppy dog eyes. Recent research suggests that evolutionarily, signalling distress to others would be an adaptive trait. B

I feel your pain. Literally.

May 30, 2022Uncategorized

"I feel your pain" is rooted in biology Seeing an individual in emotional pain can activate our own emotional pain circuits. This provides an interesting link to what Dr. Bowen proposed as the togetherness force. We experience this when we recognize

Change Your Paradigm and Move Beyond Blame

May 17, 2022Uncategorized

Blame is about cause and effect When one is in pain or discomfort, it's useful to understand what caused it. That's how we can stop the cause and get back to normal. The body has lots of processes that identify a "cause" and puts it into action to ge

Emotional Pain and Suffering are Different

May 15, 2022Define self

Emotional pain does “hurt”. There is a difference between pain and suffering, and sometimes individuals create more suffering than the initial pain warrants. Emotion pain literally hurts because it can fire the same brain areas that are activated

Can defining self overcome languishing?

April 15, 2022Anxiety, Define self

Can defining self help with languishing? What is languishing and how could defining self help overcome it? A 2021 New York Times article discussed the concept of languishing and suggested that it could be the dominant emotion of 2021. If Bowen Theory

Can systems thinking impact society?

March 27, 2022Define self

How does systems thinking impact society? In Donella Meadows’ book “Thinking in Systems,” there is a list of things one can do to affect a system. It counts downwards from less impactful, possibly harmful actions, to the most impactful actions.