--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Up until now, some of us actually thought…" description: "\"“Up until now, some of us actually thought that we created and organized the systems in which we work. But should it turn out that natural system…are t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/harrison-owen-48082_organizing_up-until-now-some-of-us-actually-thought_764737.png" --- # Up until now, some of us actually thought that we created… ![“Up until now, some of us actually thought that we created and organized the systems in which we work. But should it turn out that natural system…are truly self-organizing, much of that effort was wasted.” quote by Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/harrison-owen-48082_organizing_up-until-now-some-of-us-actually-thought_764737.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/harrison-owen-48082_organizing_up-until-now-some-of-us-actually-thought_764737.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/harrison-owen-48082_organizing_up-until-now-some-of-us-actually-thought_764737.png) > ““Up until now, some of us actually thought that we created and organized the systems in which we work. But should it turn out that natural system…are truly self-organizing, much of that effort was wasted.”” [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage suggests that believing systems are fully controlled is mistaken; many are self‑organizing, making some effort wasted. **In simple terms:** Systems often self‑organize, limiting control. Key Takeaway Recognize emergent behavior in organizations. Themes systems theory organizational behavior complexity efficiency Mood critical thoughtful Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - project planning - change management - team structures - process design Key Concepts self‑organization emergent properties resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders balance control and emergence? - What methods reveal hidden self‑organizing patterns? A Different Perspective Overlooking human agency can lead to complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Created Organized](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/created-organized-5923493/) [Organized Systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organized-systems-959620/) [Organizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizing/) [Organizing Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizing-effort-5923492/) [Self Organizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-organizing-836924/) [Self-organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-organization-166662/) [Systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/systems/) [Thought Created](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-created-352672/) ## Related quotes > [“Open some space, and Spirit will certainly show up. Allow the magic of self-organization to work for you, and the complex adaptive system that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-owen/open-some-space-and-spirit-will-certainly-show-up-allow-the-magic-of/) [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) > [Orderliness by itself is not sufficient to account for the nature of organized systems in general or for those created by man in particular.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-arnheim/orderliness-by-itself-is-not-sufficient-to-account-for-the-nature-of/) [Rudolf Arnheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-arnheim/) > [The rehabilitation of order as a universal principle, however, suggested at the same time that orderliness by itself is not sufficient to account for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-arnheim/the-rehabilitation-of-order-as-a-universal-principle-however/) [Rudolf Arnheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-arnheim/) > [“As a subject of behavioral study, nest architecture offers an appealing feature that practically no other behavior offer; namely, the nest is a perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-tschinkel/as-a-subject-of-behavioral-study-nest-architecture-offers-an/) [Walter Tschinkel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-tschinkel/) > [“We are asking if thought can be aware of itself. That is rather a complex question, and requires very careful observation. Thought has created…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-krishnamurti/we-are-asking-if-thought-can-be-aware-of-itself-that-is-rather-a/) [J. Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-krishnamurti/) > [To find the true cause of how you think and feel, find the 'sponsoring thought' that created the interpretation that created your experience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-crawford/to-find-the-true-cause-of-how-you-think-and-feel-find-the-sponsoring/) [Bill Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-crawford/) > [“I added a fucked-up thought to another fucked-up thought and I created a pile of shit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-mcgarry/i-added-a-fucked-up-thought-to-another-fucked-up-thought-and-i/) [Katie McGarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-mcgarry/) > [“Once thought is created it spans outward much like the ripples in a lake after tossing in a pebble. The quality of the thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-butler/once-thought-is-created-it-spans-outward-much-like-the-ripples-in-a/) [Jamie Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-butler/) > [All thought is created, therefore we are all creators of whatever world we live in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arndt/all-thought-is-created-therefore-we-are-all-creators-of-whatever/) [Michael Arndt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arndt/) > [The universe is a self-organizing, intelligent, creative, trial-and-error learning, participatory, interactive, non-locally interconnected and evolving system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-mitchell/the-universe-is-a-self-organizing-intelligent-creative-trial-and/) [Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-mitchell/) > [If the process of life is about moving toward increased complexity and organization, a sort of sublime unfolding of greater and greater self-organizing systems,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-silva/if-the-process-of-life-is-about-moving-toward-increased-complexity/) [Jason Silva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-silva/) > [I think a lot of things will be self-correcting, even in America. After all, human societies are essentially self-organizing emergent systems. The catch is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-think-a-lot-of-things-will-be-self-correcting-even-in-america-after/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Education is a self-organizing system, where learning is an emergent phenomenon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/education-is-a-self-organizing-system-where-learning-is-an-emergent/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) > [The great thing about a culture is that once you really get it going, it evolves on its own. It's self-organizing. It's dynamic. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mackey/the-great-thing-about-a-culture-is-that-once-you-really-get-it-going/) [John Mackey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mackey/) > [The universe is not only self-organizing, it is also self-correcting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-universe-is-not-only-self-organizing-it-is-also-self-correcting/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## More by Harrison Owen > [Change is a journey and the journey is always about change. And if there is no change, why bother with the journey? And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-owen/change-is-a-journey-and-the-journey-is-always-about-change-and-if/) [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) > [“Open some space, and Spirit will certainly show up. Allow the magic of self-organization to work for you, and the complex adaptive system that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-owen/open-some-space-and-spirit-will-certainly-show-up-allow-the-magic-of/) [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) > [Peace of the sort that brings wholeness, harmony, and health to our lives only happens when chaos, confusion, and conflict are included and transcended.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-owen/peace-of-the-sort-that-brings-wholeness-harmony-and-health-to-our/) [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) > [When the spirit of people is strong focused and vibrant, wonderful things happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-owen/when-the-spirit-of-people-is-strong-focused-and-vibrant-wonderful/) [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) > [The circle is the fundamental geometry of open human communication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-owen/the-circle-is-the-fundamental-geometry-of-open-human-communication/) [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) > [“…most of the ways in which we know how to engineer change…are not effective. Given a…logical problem to solve, we are superb… But…the fundamental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-owen/most-of-the-ways-in-which-we-know-how-to-engineer-change-are-not/) [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) > [“As people think and work together, a fabric of shared meaning comes into being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-owen/as-people-think-and-work-together-a-fabric-of-shared-meaning-comes/) [Harrison Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) [Explore all 8 Harrison Owen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-owen/) ## More Organizing quotes > [“always put off writing by reorganizing my entire house and spending way too much time and money buying office supplies and organizing systems. Every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/always-put-off-writing-by-reorganizing-my-entire-house-and-spending/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Organizing is always a relationship between the person who arrives and says 'Let's meet together' and the person who comes to the meeting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vijay-prashad/organizing-is-always-a-relationship-between-the-person-who-arrives/) [Vijay Prashad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vijay-prashad/) > [Any new legal measures, or cooperative arrangements between government and companies meant to keep people from organizing violence or criminal actions, must not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/any-new-legal-measures-or-cooperative-arrangements-between-government/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [We trained hard, but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we would be reorganized. Presumably the plans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-ogburn/we-trained-hard-but-it-seemed-that-every-time-we-were-beginning-to/) [Charlton Ogburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-ogburn/) > [“Your home is in disarray. How you got there is the reason for the mess, but not the reason for staying in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-borromeo-tomlinson/your-home-is-in-disarray-how-you-got-there-is-the-reason-for-the-mess/) [Bonnie Borromeo Tomlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-borromeo-tomlinson/) > [It's a lot of work organizing something, whether it's a show or a book, and I don't want to do it every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-winogrand/it-s-a-lot-of-work-organizing-something-whether-it-s-a-show-or-a-book/) [Garry Winogrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-winogrand/) > [Putting first things first means organizing and executing around your most important priorities. It is living and being driven by the principles you value…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/putting-first-things-first-means-organizing-and-executing-around-your/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Organizing is providing people with the opportunity to become aware of their own capabilities and potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-ross/organizing-is-providing-people-with-the-opportunity-to-become-aware/) [Fred Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-ross/) > [The main reason why it is profitable to establish a firm would seem to be that there is a cost of using the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-coase/the-main-reason-why-it-is-profitable-to-establish-a-firm-would-seem/) [Ronald Coase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-coase/) > [Facebook is the social graph with the organizing principle around your friends and your social life. LinkedIn is the professional graph, organized around you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rosensweig/facebook-is-the-social-graph-with-the-organizing-principle-around/) [Dan Rosensweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rosensweig/) > [What does it mean to have a mayor who has an organizing background? It means I have allies and partners on whom I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-hodges/what-does-it-mean-to-have-a-mayor-who-has-an-organizing-background-it/) [Betsy Hodges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-hodges/) > [I describe myself as someone who was always putting on a show, even when I was a little girl. I wanted to be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ziskin/i-describe-myself-as-someone-who-was-always-putting-on-a-show-even/) [Laura Ziskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ziskin/) > [The organizing principal for any culture is War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/the-organizing-principal-for-any-culture-is-war/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [If I am forced to come up with organizing tips, I use my iPhone and I have my to-do list that I keep there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-maybank/if-i-am-forced-to-come-up-with-organizing-tips-i-use-my-iphone-and-i/) [Alexis Maybank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-maybank/) > [It's endlessly interesting to be organizing and hearing possible solutions or thinking of possible solutions and how to put efforts together. It makes everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/it-s-endlessly-interesting-to-be-organizing-and-hearing-possible/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) [Browse all 184 Organizing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organizing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Up until now, some of us actually thought that we created and organized the systems in which we work. 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