Do Systems Exist?

First question is – do systems exist. The answer is yes and no.
Key point to understand about Systems Thinking – provides set of concepts and techniques to analyse situations.
Can be used in number of situations

• analyse existing situations
• situations that are not systems but insights can be gained

Fundamentally, system is set of inconnected things that produce pattern of behaviour over time, e.g.

• people
• cells
• ecologies
• atoms
• galaxies

System may be constricted, amplified, started or stopped, and driven by outside forces.
System response to these forces characteristics of itself, response may be very complex.
System may cause it’s own behaviour. Behaviour may be initiated by outside event. Same event applied to different system likely produce different result.
Examples:

• In most cases companies do not lose market share because of competitors. It is because of their own strategy and policy which competitors take advantage of. Most companies blame competitors for loss, if this was the case, would not see competitors effecting one company rather than all of them.
• Virus does not attack you, you set up conditions where it can flourish e.g. poor diet or poor hygiene.