When analyzing systems, we typically look for a transient response and the initial conditions. Extending this analogy, it would seem natural that even if we kne

When analyzing systems, we typically look for a transient response and the initial conditions. Extending this analogy, it would seem natural that even if we knew the characteristics of a system, the behavior of the system would be largely controlled by the inputs. I'm not sure either element can be excluded when trying to solve this - my guess is that it's the need to fit things into our own frameworks and understanding that pushes people to grossly oversimplify.