The behaviour of complex social systems appears counter-intuitive to the average person for whom intuition and judgement, generated by a lifetime of experience with simple (first order, negative feedback) systems that surround the majority of daily activities, create a network of expectations and perceptions which mislead the unwary when trying to comprehend more complex systems. Not only are such systems fundamentally different from the simple systems of daily experience, but they appear to be the same by providing a plausible relationship and pattern to be discovered. However the discovered causes which become the basis for corrective action for the noted effects are frequently only coincident symptoms (so that having dispelled the symptoms, the underlying causes still remain). There is therefore a high probability that intuitive solutions to the problems of complex social systems will be incorrect most of the time.