---
title: "Guidelines for living in a world of systems"
description: "Fifteen practices drawn from systems thinkers."
canonical: https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/thinking-in-systems/guidelines-for-living-in-a-world-of-systems/
updated: 2026-11-03
---

# Guidelines for living in a world of systems

> Fifteen practices drawn from systems thinkers.

Donella Meadows's framework, from Thinking in Systems, pp. 166 to 209.

Framework 7 of 7 from [Thinking in Systems](https://tomsharman.com/bookshelf/thinking-in-systems/index.md) by Donella Meadows. Category: Content and packaging.

## The steps

1. **Get the beat of the system.** Watch behaviour and history before disturbing it.
2. **Expose your mental models to the light of day.** Make assumptions visible and invite challenge.
3. **Honor, respect, and distribute information.** Do not distort, delay or withhold it.
4. **Use language with care and enrich it with systems concepts.** Keep language concrete and expand its vocabulary.
5. **Pay attention to what is important, not just what is quantifiable.** Be a quality detector.
6. **Make feedback policies for feedback systems.** Build learning into policy.
7. **Go for the good of the whole.** Do not maximise parts at the expense of the whole.
8. **Listen to the wisdom of the system.** Support the system's own self-maintenance.
9. **Locate responsibility within the system.** Send consequences to decision makers.
10. **Stay humble, stay a learner.** Experiment in small steps and embrace error.
11. **Celebrate complexity.** Value disorder, variety and diversity.
12. **Expand time horizons.** Watch short and long term together.
13. **Defy the disciplines.** Follow the system across fields.
14. **Expand the boundary of caring.** Include everyone the system connects.
15. **Don't erode the goal of goodness.** Keep standards absolute and weigh good news fairly.

## Where it comes from

From chapter: Part Three: Creating Change - in Systems and in Our Philosophy, pp. 166–209

## The animation

24 seconds, 4:5, no sound.

- MP4: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/thinking-in-systems/guidelines-for-living-in-a-world-of-systems.mp4
- MP4, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/thinking-in-systems/guidelines-for-living-in-a-world-of-systems-dark.mp4
- Still: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/thinking-in-systems/guidelines-for-living-in-a-world-of-systems.png
- Still, dark: https://tomsharman-downloads-006143767029.s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com/downloads/bookshelf/thinking-in-systems/guidelines-for-living-in-a-world-of-systems-dark.png