Our relationship with the systems we operate within differs at different stages of vertical development.

(Using Keegan's labels here, my friend Dimitri has a great summary of vertical development.)

In a self-sovereign mindset, we can't conceive that anything outside of ourselves could possibly matter.

In a socialized mindset, people have an implicit (but overly rigid and dogmatic) sense that systems matter: "What do you mean what is my opinion on which sportsball team is best? This is a Panthers town, it's inconceivable that anyone could root for anyone else. If we didn't all believe that, we wouldn't be able to trust each other and society would collapse!".

In a self-authoring mindset you lose the systems sense: "Systems primarily function to constrain the behavior of individuals and sap life force. I am my own thing".

In self-transcending mindset you rediscover the value of systems, but in an emergent, coevolving, flexible sense. "I am a system myself, interwoven into the fabric of systems all around me, influencing them and being influence by them."