Complex System

A system with many interacting components whose collective behavior cannot be predicted from the behavior of individual parts. Complex systems are everywhere—ecosystems, economies, organizations, brains. They're characterized by emergence (patterns that arise from interactions), feedback loops (actions that amplify or dampen themselves), and sensitivity to initial conditions (small changes can have huge effects). Complex systems can't be controlled, only influenced; can't be predicted, only understood in retrospect; can't be simplified, only appreciated in their full intricacy. They're why simple solutions fail, why best-laid plans go awry, why life is endlessly surprising.

Example: "She tried to fix her organization with a simple solution—new rules, new structure, new incentives. But organizations are complex systems—the interactions mattered more than the components, the feedback loops defeated her changes, emergence created outcomes she never imagined. Her simple solution made things worse. She learned to work with complexity rather than against it—influencing, nudging, watching for patterns rather than imposing order."

by Abzunammu February 16, 2026

Dynamic-Complex System

The ultimate system type—both dynamic (constantly changing) and complex (with interacting components producing emergent behavior). Dynamic-complex systems are what you're actually dealing with most of the time: ecosystems, economies, societies, organizations, families, your own mind. They can't be predicted, can't be controlled, can't be fully understood. They can only be navigated—with humility, attention, and constant adaptation. Dynamic-complex systems are why experience matters more than theory, why wisdom exceeds knowledge, why the best-laid plans go awry. They're also where life happens—if you want simple, predictable systems, study rocks. If you want to live, study dynamic-complex systems and accept that you'll never master them, only learn to dance with them.

Example: "He spent his career trying to master dynamic-complex systems—markets, organizations, relationships. He studied, planned, predicted. They always surprised him. Finally, he stopped trying to master and started trying to dance—paying attention, adapting, flowing with the system rather than against it. He didn't control anything, but he moved better. That was enough."

by Abzunammu February 16, 2026