The social system consists of influences such as family, media, community groups, workplace, educational institutions, and peers. ST theory is considered inclusive, not exclusive. Rather than reductionistically narrowing down the possibilities, ST widens the possibilities to include the entire contextual system. Influences are not judged to be good or bad. Instead, they are considered as influences that push or pull the individual in various directions.
Trait theories assume that people are shaped by past experience.
Traits are believed to be relatively stable over time and, therefore, predictable. Trait theory ignores individual variability and, concomitantly, the relationship between individual difference An Overview of Systems Theory 6 and career development. The inclusion of individual variability and chance factors makes ST quite robust in its application to career development theory. What appears to be chance to a client may be what interconnects one part of the system with another part of the system . One influence may push while other influences may pull.