The Gita as a model for Systems Thinking
I discovered Systems Thinking in 2016 and The Gita in 2019. As I read and re-read the leverage points paper and The Fifth Discipline; and as I continue to read from The Gita and other related scriptures, also listen to lectures, the overlaps never cease to delight me.
Context
The Gita is a poem that is nested in the Mahabharata - one of the longest epic poems known and consists of over 100,000 ślokas or over 200,000 individual verse lines (each śloka is a couplet), and long prose passages. At about 1.8 million words in total, the Mahabharata is roughly ten times the length of the Iliad and the Odyssey combined, or about four times the length of the Ramayana.
The dating of the Mahabharata and the Gita within it is subject to scholarly debate, largely because the text has been transmitted orally for centuries before being written down. It is estimated to be between 2,500 to 5000 years old, keeping in mind the broad span of time over which the Mahabharata, including the Gita, was developed and compiled into the form we recognise today.
Insight
For me the beauty of the Gita is that it is epic poem spanning over a 700 verse dialogue between 2 characters, largely based on the surfacing, suspending and updating of mental models based. A few insights and overlaps with the first principles of systems thinking that keep coming up for me:
a. Mental models (assumptions, beliefs, values, maps of meaning) are the highest leverage point because they inform our thoughts/ actions.
Krishna doesn't speak for the first chapter and a half to allow Arjun to bring to surface whats bothering him, whats holding him back. The dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna is not just a conversation but an journey through which Arjuna's doubts, fears, and dilemmas are addressed, leading to a profound transformation in his understanding and approach to his duty and life. Krishna's method of guiding Arjuna is indeed an exquisite example of how dialogue can serve as a tool for transcending limiting mental models.
b. The only way to transcend mental models is through constantly engaging in dialogue. By engaging Arjuna in a deep and reflective dialogue, Krishna doesn't merely challenge Arjuna's existing beliefs but also facilitates the surfacing of Arjuna's subconscious doubts and fears. The iterative nature of their dialogue, where Krishna appeals to Arjuna from different perspectives—emotional, righteous, spiritual, and intellectual—highlights the complexity of human cognition and belief systems.
This multifaceted approach to dialogue is not only relevant in the context of the Bhagavad Gita but is also a valuable lesson for modern times. It suggests that true understanding and growth come from an openness to question and reevaluate our deepest beliefs. The discipline of engaging in dialogues can help surface subconscious beliefs, making them available for examination and, ultimately, transformation.
c. We need agency: Change is hard, even when we want to our chemistry and biology will make us resists it. Krishna's refusal to give Arjuna an ultimatum, instead offering guidance to help Arjuna make his own decision, underscores the importance of autonomy in the process of growth and understanding. It suggests that while others can help us see different perspectives, true change and enlightenment must come from within, through our own willingness to confront and transcend our limiting beliefs.
Question for you
Can you think back to a recent challenge and doe the journey down the iceberg from 'the big event' positive (ran a whole marathon) or negative (feel like quitting my job) and work backwards from the event?
Start at the tip and go down towards the patters of behaviour over time (small events that compounded over time, (e.g. regularly training for run, focusing on sleep and nutrition etc); structures that promote those events (hired a coach, have an accountability partner, quit junk food and alcohol etc); and the mental model that informs that behaviour (I can do it, I want to be healthy and fit as I age, running is good for my sanity etc.)