An aware practitioner, having chosen to take a systems approach, will always face choices. One of the main choices is whether
to formulate a system of interest as part of a process of understanding a situation experienced as complex-- a systemic process
of inquiry-- or to see systems as operational parts of a taken-for-granted real world. This choice is depicted in the cartoon,
which contrasts seeing the world as containing systems-- being systematic-- and seeing the process of inquiry or engaging
with a situation as systemic-- being systemic. The systemic approach involves using systems thinking to construct an epistemological
device as part of an inquiry process through which we can generate fresh and insightful explanations which trigger new ways
of taking purposeful action in the world. Now you can learn more about the similarities and differences between systemic and
systematic approaches.