In a nutshell, the idea is that you look below the surface of any problem/event, to figure out the underlying patterns, structures and mental models that led to the event.
You see it referenced a lot in relation to [[systems thinking]], but the results that come up in a search feel a little bit sketchy. Where does it come from originally? It’s mentioned obliquely in [[Thinking in Systems]], so perhaps that’s the genesis.
Like the tip of an iceberg rising above the water, events are the most visible aspect of a larger complex—but not always the most important.
– [[Thinking in Systems]]