Being systemic is a wicked problem

Being systemic is a wicked problem (aka Rittel and Webber, 1973), in theory and practice;

"
it is often hard to escape the trap of thinking that can be described as Newtonian, mechanistic, linear, mono-causal, systematic etc. It is necessary to practice so as to break out of this trap. ... [to] .. trigger a shift in thinking from the systematic to the systemic so that you can hold both in creative tension. ... Firstly, it’s not the tools that you use that necessarily lead you to systems thinking but how you use them... "
(OU, 2010, p. 44).

Similarly, Ison (2010, pp. 4-); ".. it is not easy to think and act differently. How we think and act is patterned into the very fabric of our existence..."

Further, the lack of acceptance of the "wicked problem" concept (vs "tame" problems) is itself a wicked problem; we/they are "stuck" (Ison, 2010, p. 123).

Even further, Ison (2010, p. 125) however argues "the use of the word  'problem' is problematic"; a potential "trap of reification" (p. 127)- our "concept forming apparatus" (p. 129) [a social technology].

A "mess" can be seen as a "system of problems" (Ison, 2010, p. 126, quoting Ackoff).

Ison, R. (2010) Systems Practice: How to Act in a Climate-Change World, Springer, London.

Open University (OU) (2010) TU812 Managing systemic change: inquiry, action and interaction. Study guide [Online], UK, Charlesworth.

Rittel, H. W. J. and Webber, M. M. (1973). 'Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning', Policy Sciences, vol. 4, no. 2, pp.: 155–169 [Online]. DOI: 10.1007/bf01405730.