Open System Reality

A model of reality in which the system is open to outside influences—new information, new forces, new possibilities that aren't determined by the system's initial conditions. In open system reality, the future isn't fixed; the universe isn't closed; things can genuinely surprise you. This is the reality of creativity, of learning, of love at first sight, of the phone call that changes everything. Open system reality is scary because it means you're not in control, but it's also hopeful because it means change is possible. It's the reality that keeps therapists in business and makes life worth living.

Example: "He tried to predict his life trajectory using past data, but open system reality kept intervening—a random meeting, an unexpected opportunity, a global pandemic. His models failed because reality was open, not closed. He finally accepted that prediction was impossible and started paying attention instead. Open system reality had taught him humility, which was not in any model."

by AbzuInExile February 16, 2026

Open System Truth

Truth that exists in systems open to outside influence—new evidence, new perspectives, new contexts that can change what counts as true. Open system truth is never final because the system is never closed; new information can always enter and transform understanding. This is the truth of science, of learning, of growth—always provisional, always open to revision. Open system truth is unsettling for people who want certainty and liberating for those who accept that knowledge is a journey, not a destination.

Example: "She thought she knew everything about her field, having studied it for decades. Then open system truth intervened: new research, new methods, new perspectives that shifted everything she thought she knew. Her old truths weren't false; they were just incomplete, now superseded. Open system truth had done its work: keeping knowledge alive by keeping it open."

by AbzuInExile February 16, 2026

Open System

A system that exchanges matter, energy, information, or influence with its environment—it's open to outside input, open to change, open to learning. Open systems are the default in nature: ecosystems exchange nutrients, economies exchange goods, relationships exchange feelings. Open systems can adapt, evolve, and surprise you, which is both their strength (they can improve) and their challenge (they're unpredictable). Open systems are what therapists work with, what managers struggle with, and what anyone in a relationship is definitely dealing with. The opposite of an open system is a closed system, which is either a very simple machine or a person who's decided never to change.

Example: "Her relationship was an open system—constantly exchanging feelings, ideas, influences with the outside world. Friends affected them, work stress flowed in, cultural shifts reshaped their dynamics. Some people said relationships should be closed systems, just the two of them against the world. Those people were either in very new relationships or very doomed ones."

by Abzunammu February 16, 2026