From Fred Nickols (960613.1500 EDT)
Regarding Bruce Gregory's concise little post:
1. Human beings act in order to make what they perceive fit their pictures.
Assuming that "pictures" refers to reference conditions, which do not
consist solely of pictures in the literal sense, I agree, and so would
most people I know (few, if any of whom are PCTers).
2. The bad news: You can't change someone else's pictures.
Perhaps not, but I think you can influence their adoption of your
pictures.
3. The good news: You can change your own pictures.
Again, I agree, but I suspect few people other than PCTers would
be quick to agree. It suggests, you see, such a terrible degree of
responsibility for one's self and, in my experience, far too many
people are loath to accept that responsibility.
New Subject: Jay Forrester
I happened to attend a portion of the systems thinking conference
held in Boston this week and mentioned the control systems group
to Jay Forrester, the generally acknowledged founder of the systems
dynamic movement. He asked for and I gave him the information
necessary to subscribe. He might be joining the list.
Regards,
Fred Nickols
nickols@aol.com
[from Jeff Vancouver 960613.16:30 EST]
>From Fred Nickols (960613.1500 EDT)
Regarding Bruce Gregory's concise little post:
>1. Human beings act in order to make what they perceive fit their pictures.
>
Assuming that "pictures" refers to reference conditions, which do not
consist solely of pictures in the literal sense, I agree, and so would
most people I know (few, if any of whom are PCTers).
I agree, pictures has connotations of episodic representations only.
>2. The bad news: You can't change someone else's pictures.
>
Perhaps not, but I think you can influence their adoption of your
pictures.
I agree with Fred here as well.
>3. The good news: You can change your own pictures.
>
Again, I agree, but I suspect few people other than PCTers would
be quick to agree. It suggests, you see, such a terrible degree of
responsibility for one's self and, in my experience, far too many
people are loath to accept that responsibility.
This is more problematic. It implies we have VOLITIONAL control of our
pictures. I do not thing PCT makes that claim. It seems more reminscint
of Sartre.
New Subject: Jay Forrester
I happened to attend a portion of the systems thinking conference
held in Boston this week and mentioned the control systems group
to Jay Forrester, the generally acknowledged founder of the systems
dynamic movement. He asked for and I gave him the information
necessary to subscribe. He might be joining the list.
I, for one, think this would be great. Remember Richardson is one of
Forrester's students. Like Richardson, I think PCT and systems dynamics
are complementary fields and should work toward understanding how they
complement.
Later
Jeff