“The difference between a sustainable society and a present-day economic recession is like the difference between stopping and automobile purposefully with the brakes versus stopping it by crashing into a brick wall. When the present economy overshoots, it turns around… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“Because we bump into reinforcing loops so often, it is handy to know this shortcut: The time it takes for an exponentially growing stock to double in size, the “doubling time,” equals approximately 70 divided by the growth rate (expressed… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“So, what is a system? A system is a set of things—people, cells, molecules, or whatever—interconnected in such a way that they produce their… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“People don't need enormous cars; they need admiration and respect. They don't need a constant stream of new clothes; they need to feel that… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“When we, system dynamicists, see a pattern persist in many parts of a system over long periods, we assume that it has causes embedded… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“But rules for sustainability, like every workable social rule, would be put into place not to destroy freedoms, but to create freedoms or to… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“You think that because you understand “one” that you must therefore understand “two” because one and one make two. But you forget that you… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“The difference between a sustainable society and a present-day economic recession is like the difference between stopping and automobile purposefully with the brakes versus… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“We can't impose our will on a system. We can listen to what the system tells us, and discover how its properties and our… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“Model utility depends not on whether its driving scenarios are realistic (since no one can know that for sure), but on whether it responds… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“Designing a system for intrinsic responsibility could mean, for example, requiring all towns or companies that emit wastewater into a stream to place their… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“a system must consist of three kinds of things: elements, interconnections, and a function or purpose.” — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
“The systems-thinking lens allows us to reclaim our intuition about whole systems and • hone our abilities to understand parts, • see interconnections, •… — Donella H. Meadows Copy Share Image
