Meta-Systemic Cognition and Coaching

How the limitations of rational/analytical cognition can be overcome using the four quadrants:

Meta-systemic cognition overcomes the limitations of rational/analytical thinking by giving attention to the aspects of complex phenomenon that rational/analytical thinking tends to ignore. It builds mental models of reality that are more comprehensive and adequate to its complexity.

Rational/analytical cognition tends to ignore the context of systems of objects, the fact that all objects are in fact processes, the relationships between objects and that all these constitute transforming systems. These aspects of reality constitute the four quadrants of meta-systemic cognition. They can be used to scaffold the building of mental models that do justice to complex, transforming systems. In more detail:

Context: Seeing everything that exists as part of an organized, multi-layered whole, usually synchronically (at a particular point in time). (E.g. Understanding a beehive by describing only its structure and its environment).

Process: Seeing everything in the process of undergoing unceasing change. (E.g. Understanding the processes that bring the beehive into being and make it vanish).

Relationship: Seeing that everything shares a common ground. (E.g Understanding that without describing the relationships between the bee hive’s main components – the queen, the drones, the worker bees, that the hive has not been described or understood fully).

Transforming System: Seeing everything as a transformational system, combining aspects of Context, Process, and Relationship. (E.g. Understanding the beehive is a living system transforming through time).

How mind-openers can be used to guide attention to the quadrants so that they can be included:

A mind opener points out something that makes a difference without getting bogged down. It points out things that would otherwise be left out but that matter.

Mind openers are questions that can be used to guide attention to the Four Quadrants (Context, Process, Relationships and Transforming System which tend to be left out by rational analytical cognition.