Principlev1PR-178
Break observations into hierarchical levels from events…
Break observations into hierarchical levels from events to mental models, intervening at the structural or mental-model level rather than reacting to individual events.
Why This Is a Principle
This derives from Patterns Exist in Hierarchical Logical Levels (hierarchical patterns at multiple scales) and Schemas as Knowledge Organization Structures (schemas organize knowledge). Meadows' iceberg model provides a prescriptive framework: move from reacting to events to identifying the structures and mental models that generate recurring patterns. This is clearly a principle—it's actionable (intervene at deeper levels) and general (applies to any system analysis).