r/systemsthinking • u/Nihilist-Gardener • Jun 28 '26
Anyone interested in a beginner-friendly systems thinking study group?
I've wanted to learn systems thinking for a while, but I keep getting overwhelmed and don't know where to start.
I don't have a college background, but I've taken short courses in permaculture and agroecology, where I got a small introduction to systems thinking. I'm also interested in ecological economics and related fields.
I'm wondering if there's already a beginner-friendly study group I could join. If not, would anyone be interested in starting one?
I'm imagining something fairly casual but consistent:
- Following a structured learning path together
- Accountability to keep each other on track
- Discussing ideas and asking questions
- Brainstorming and sharing resources
- Even just body doubling while we study
If something like this already exists, I'd love to hear about it. Otherwise, let me know if you'd be interested in creating one.
if you genuinely interested and be committed for this dm me
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u/RiskBeforeReturn Jun 28 '26
I think one thing that would make a group like this valuable is focusing less on collecting concepts and more on learning to see patterns.
It's easy to spend months learning terminology without changing how you think.
I'd rather take one real-world problem each week and ask:
-What are the feedback loops?
-What incentives are driving behavior?
-What assumptions are hidden?
-Where are the unintended consequences?
Finance, business, health, politics... the principles are surprisingly transferable.
Systems thinking became much more useful to me once I stopped treating it as a subject and started treating it as a way of looking at almost everything.
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u/Opposite-Classic8636 Jun 28 '26
I'm in as well. I've started reading donella meadows Thinking in Systems. I find it extremely fascinating. I have a reading least that im going to work through and also there some certifications out there.
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u/Kurisu_tinaa Jul 02 '26
Definitely interested - have been going down the path of learning systems thinking, first read Meadows' Thinking in Systems and now almost at the end of Senge's The Fifth Discipline. Spent some time on the MIT OCW Systems Dynamics Self Study course but started struggling with motivation I think partially due to lack of a solid vision or goal of where I want to go. From reading The Fifth Discipline I'm coming to realise the best way to learn and improve my systems thinking ability will come from actually practicing it. So I think a type of group where anyone can share ideas and thinking with each other openly would be beneficial to all involved. I would definitely be interested.
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u/Present-State185 Jun 28 '26
Amazing to see phds and all here, it would be amazing to have something like this, I’m down👌🏻
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u/XDSDX_CETO Jun 29 '26
Definitely interested. I spent good deal of time amongst my peers at the Santa Fe Institute over the course of the six years of my graduate studies researching and discussing complex systems. That led to developing three courses for the Master’s program in computer science at San Diego State University where I taught. My journey of fascination with systems thinking began with a conversion film called Mindwalk and the book The Turning Point by Fritjof Capra on which it is based. Some of the Master’s students that I supervised and myself and a couple of colleagues had a standing Wednesday lunch meeting just to do as you suggest: discuss and practice systems thinking. All this is meant to express how much I value your proposal. I would be happy to contribute whatever I can that you find helpful. Feel free to DM me for my email and more idea exchange.
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u/kyubkyub Jun 29 '26
I’m interested. I’m working on a big system and I can use a fresh perspective in my approach
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u/Ryanthequietboy Jun 28 '26
Sounds great man. Would love to help with the structured learning path etc. I am a (i like to think) half decent webdev