In this episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University take a rapid-fire tour through some of the most famous systems thinking quotes from legends like Donella Meadows, Peter Senge, Russell Ackoff, W. Edwards Deming, and even the Buddha.

Laura reads each quote, and Derek rates them 1–10 on validity, reliability, and usefulness—revealing which ideas stand up to science and which ones fall apart under scrutiny. From “Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets” (spoiler: a 10) to “Reality is made up of circles, but we see straight lines” (not so much), this episode separates truth from myth with humor, depth, and a bit of friendly roasting.

If you’ve ever wondered which systems thinking ideas actually hold up—and which just sound smart—this one’s for you.