Systems thinking is a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on how various components of a system interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems. This methodology emerged in the early 20th century in response to the limitations of reductionist thinking, which analyzes systems by breaking them down into their constituent parts. In No Bad Parts, Richard Schwartz applies this systems-thinking framework to explore how the various “parts” of our psyche interact and influence our overall well-being.

The origins of systems thinking can be traced back to the 1920s and 1930s, with the work of biologists like Ludwig von Bertalanffy. Von Bertalanffy proposed general systems theory, which suggests that certain principles can be applied to systems in general, regardless of their specific elements or the nature of the relationships between them. This laid the groundwork for a more interdisciplinary approach to understanding complex phenomena.

In the 1940s and 1950s, the field of cybernetics, pioneered by Norbert Wiener, further developed systems concepts. Cybernetics focused on feedback mechanisms in biological and mechanical systems, introducing ideas like homeostasis and self-regulation that would become central to systems thinking.