Dear Organlearners,
Leo Minnigh <L.D.Minnigh@library.tudelft.nl> writes:
>The popularity of problem solving (PS) on one side and the
>mystery around systems thinking (ST) on the other side,
>has probably to do with the fact that we are tought from
>youth to recognise differences and anomalies (the 'problems').
>
>I was looking for a simple example to explain the difference
>between PS and ST. The example I found has hardly words,
>but a lot of 'feeling'. I will share with you this example and
>like to know if this could be an elegant method of explaining
>and teaching ST.
(snip, example)
Greetings Leo,
Thank you very much for describing your creative example. It is very
elegant and I will certainly make use of it.
The great difference for me is that problem-solving has been for eons an
elementary form of human living which sustains their creativity. It is
only the last forty years that we are busy formalising problem-solving
from an elementary activity into a fundametal activity.
Systems thinking has been formalised as a fundamental activity from its
beginning about fifty years ago. Thus it has no elementary counterpart
from which to work.
I now have an interesting challenge for you. I have been able to
recognise up to now fice elementary sustainers of creativity, namely
dialogue,
problem-solving
game-playing
exemplar-studying
art-expressing
You have contrasted ST with problem-solving. How about creating examples
which contrast ST with each of the other elementary sustainers of
creativity? I had a go at it the past weekend and came up with examples to
see if it is possible, but these examples would probably be not as elegant
as yours or that of others. What did happen in my examples is what you
have noted about your example:
>This excercise forces one immediately to lift the mind
>towards higher abstract levels. The answers I have received
>when testing this example (but any example may work) are
>also delightful in their creativity.
Is it the system thinking which caused the delight, or the elementary
sustainer used in the comparison?
Best wishes
--At de Lange <amdelange@gold.up.ac.za> Snailmail: A M de Lange Gold Fields Computer Centre Faculty of Science - University of Pretoria Pretoria 0001 - Rep of South Africa
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