A brief history of (ancient) systems thinking

Systems thinking is not new. I have been thinking about its ancient history and so far this is what I have gathered: 600 B.C. – philosophers used systems thinking to organize their thoughts (e.g. Lao Tze) 2,700 B.C. – Egyptians, like Imhotep, showed evidence that he was using systems thinking during his roles as architect, [...]

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Free book download: Understanding Thinking by John Evans

I scanned the book and so far I am impressed. I think folks that read the blog postings on here under the category of thinking may be interested in this book. Evans’ website, (Fluffbuster.co.uk) has a collection of all the diagrams in the Understanding Thinking book. Along with finding more information about the book you [...]

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Higher-order Thinking

I added “Higher-order Thinking” to the Wikipedia List of thought processes today. The entry for this thought process existed in Wikipedia but it was missing from the master list of thought processes – which is becoming a quick reference list. Here is a quote from the original entry on Higher-order Thinking: “Higher order thinking involves [...]

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Time to think: The one-hour thinking habit

I love this idea: “Jeffery Fox [...] recommends that you think daily for one hour. Not the unfocused, random thinking you might do in the shower or on your way to work [...] but focused, committed thinking: planning, brainstorming, writing down ideas, testing hypotheses, considering a work problem, imagining the future, setting goals, etc.” [1] [...]

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Has metacognition arrived in popular culture ?

What is Metacognition ? “Metacognition is the knowledge (i.e. awareness) of one’s cognitive processes and the efficient use of this self-awareness to self-regulate these cognitive processes (e.g. Brown, 1987; Niemi, 2002; Shimamura, 2000). ( Wikipedia entry for “Metacognition”) Meta cognition can help us understand that there are many different types of thinking tools at our [...]

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The Story of Stuff

Annie Leonard, spent 10 years traveling the world tracking where stuff comes from and where it goes within the linear system of industry. She takes into considerations of societies, cultures, governments. She uses flash animation to make her story clear. It’s worth watching. The cycle of stuff explained through flash animations and voice over. Closely [...]

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Strategic Thinking and Systems Thinking

The blog Analyst’s Corner has an blog posting relating strategic thinking and systems thinking. It presents the links between these through the analogy of copper theft. I think the following excerpt may provide a general insight for this article: “If we focus on a more strategic tactic, seeking to influence the markets for scrap copper [...]

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Contextualizing Your Decision Framework

I want to unofficially nominate Harvard Business Review for writing one of last year’s most interesting articles on thought. The article is called, “A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making.” The article explains how some decision-makers tailor their approach to fit the dynamics affecting the challenges they face. First, this article presents the reader with a [...]

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The Science of Leonardo

National Public Radio interviewed Fritjof Capra on the topic of Leonardo Da Vinci. Capra’s book looks into Leonardo’s insights in the studies of metaphoric patterns between forms in nature – for example he observes the formal similarities between rivers and the veins in the human body. Reference: Listen to the recorded audio interview on the [...]

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A Whole New Mind

Over the holiday break I read A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink. In this book Pink talks about how the the new dynamics of globalization has pointed towards a demand for a shift in the way we think. He points towards the three A’s as the three factors that have created an increased [...]

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