Thinking in systems
Humility about what can be designed
In shortBe modest about designing the right answer from outside; each person knows only part of the picture.
The idea
In ‘A Conflict of Visions’, Sowell describes two ways of seeing people. One believes that with knowledge and good intentions the right solution can be designed. The other starts from the idea that each person’s knowledge is limited, that people are as they are, and that what works usually comes from processes tested over time. Applied to a child: we cannot redesign them; we can change conditions, observe what happens and learn.
What to try
- Prefer small, reversible steps to grand plans.
- Respect what already works at home, even if it does not come from a manual.
- Be wary of programmes that promise to change everything at once.
The common mistake
Trusting a plan’s intentions more than the results it produces.
Want to know more?
Start here
Short, plain pieces by the researchers and good writers.
Books
Two ways of seeing human nature, and why they change everything that is proposed.
See on Amazon ›Amazon links are affiliate links: if you buy, Bounded Uncertainty receives a small commission at no cost to you.
The science behind itHow strong the evidence is, the model, videos and references.
How strong the evidence is
A way of thinking A lens for interpreting what a child does, not a rule from trials.
The ‘constrained’ vision (Sowell, 1987) treats human nature as given and knowledge as dispersed, favouring systemic processes with feedback (tradition, markets, case law) over articulated design; the ‘unconstrained’ vision trusts articulated reason to find solutions. In psychological practice this connects to scepticism about packaged programmes, a preference for incremental changes judged by response, and acknowledging the limits of what the professional knows.
External videos, chosen because they agree with these ideas. Bounded Uncertainty has no link to the channels.
References
- Sowell, T. (1987). A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles. William Morrow.
Found this useful? Buy Ricardo a coffee