📝Systems’ boundaries are imaginary

source

Meadows₂₀₀₈

There are no boundaries in the real world. If you want to define a system exhaustively, you would end up including everything. Therefore, you must impose (imaginary) boundaries when defining a system.

Do not forget that under every cloud in diagram stands another system, stocks, and flows. If you do, the boundaries will surprise you.

See also

• Systems Thinking: Do not overinclude—even though boundaries are imaginary, it’s still useful to draw the boundary at some meaningful point.

• There are no boundaries in software development

• List of dualities