The Systemic Dimension

The Systemic Dimension: Ideas and Ideals

This is the realm of ideas—mental constructs like expectations, rules, ideals, strategies, social norms, and goals. Life is full of systemic things. Whenever we imagine, judge, or decide, we're engaging in systemic thinking.

Systemic thinking is binary: we perceive things as right or wrong, black or white, perfect or nonexistent. Consider a geometric circle—if it doesn't meet the precise definition of a circle, it's not "a bad circle." It simply isn't a circle.

The Bad News

We often apply this same mode of thinking when we label people or situations. If something doesn't match our mental model of how it "should" be, we judge it as wrong. If someone acts a certain way, we might label them as being that way—as if that's who they fundamentally are. In the systemic dimension, our perception is our reality. That's the trap of systemic misvaluation.

When systemic thinking dominates, we tend to cling to our ideas and hold our perceptions and opinions as though they're the truth—the only truth. We can easily lose openness to others, to collaboration, and to learning. This can damage relationships, cloud decisions, result in costly mistakes, and undermine our peace of mind.

Ask yourself:

1. Have you ever had a right-or-wrong argument that harmed a relationship?

2. Do you become upset when things don't unfold as you expected?

3. Do words like should, must, always, or never dominate your thinking?

4. Have you been called perfectionistic, reactive, or controlling?

These are all signs that certain systemic constructs may be dominating your thinking. If so, you're not alone.

Does that mean the systemic dimension is "bad"? Not at all.

The Good News

Actually, systemic things and systemic thinking are incredibly important and valuable—when used appropriately.

Every innovation begins with an idea. Every plan, policy, and goal originates in the systemic realm. Clear standards establish norms that allow society to function. When we understand how a system works, we can improve it or repair broken parts without discarding the whole.

The key is to remember that the systemic dimension is just one of three dimensions of value. And it's the dimension that adds the least value to human life—especially when used in isolation or as our most dominant way of thinking at the expense of the other dimensions.

More Bad News

While a brilliant idea without execution has very little value, a bad idea coupled with execution can lead to disaster.

Dr. Robert Hartman witnessed this firsthand. After seeing how the systemic ideals of the Nazi regime led to horrifying outcomes, he asked: "Could we build a system rooted in goodness that elevates, rather than destroys, human value and society?" Answering that question became his life's mission.

More Good News

As much as systemic errors of judgment and valuation can create division and conflict, mastering the systemic dimension can lead to powerful partnerships united by purpose, capitalizing on diversity and opportunity, and generating immeasurable value across all dimensions.

When we develop a healthy capacity within the systemic dimension, we gain clarity, structure, and focus. We learn to comprehend complexity, build better systems, and ask better questions. It helps us organize our world, envision new possibilities, and create more effective processes.

It's Just the Beginning

Still, it's only the starting point.

Real value isn't produced by abstract concepts and ideas alone—it's produced by our actions, how we use our resources, and how things actually function and contribute in the real world.

That's where the next dimension comes in: the extrinsic dimension.

Here, value is measured not by ideals, but by effectiveness and usefulness. It's less about what something is supposed to be and more about what it actually does—and how well it does it.