Building a System

Systems are supposed to be great. They are supposed to make us more productive. But productivity is not a virtuous end in and of itself. So what is the benefit of a System?

People will say the benefit is scale. We can do more with less. But scale (as any corporate jack would know) trends toward the impersonal. And less human doesn’t mean better.

People will say ease of use. But anyone whose ever tried to implement a system will speak volumes of the pain of designing just the right one, rolling it out, and of course adoption.

So, what of a System?

Systems have power.

They are intriguing in their promise of ease and productivity. That draws people in.

They have the ability to enforce their necessity at large scales. That keeps people in.

What of the dangers?

It takes work to make sure that we aren’t corrupted by or put into servitude of the systems that are around us.

It takes the opening of our eyes and ears, so we can see and hear clearly. It takes the continual connection to our fellow human beings such that we are reminded of the more important things (like love and life). It takes maintaining a clear vision of the purpose of the system that was built so it stays in its place.