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The whole is more than the sum of its parts.
Aristotle
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote suggests that a complete entity has greater significance and value than merely adding up its individual components.

Aristotle's quote, 'The whole is more than the sum of its parts,' implies that when elements come together to form a complex system, the resulting unity possesses qualities and functionalities that exceed what each individual part can achieve on its own. This principle can be applied across various disciplines, showcasing how collaboration and integration can lead to enhanced outcomes, whether in nature, human relationships, or societal constructs.

Themes

UnityCollaborationWholenessValueIntegrity

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a team meeting to emphasize the importance of collaboration.

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The sun, moving as it does, sets up processes of change and becoming and decay, and by its agency the finest and sweetest water is every day carried up and is dissolved into vapour and rises to the upper region, where it is condensed again by the cold and so returns to the earth. This, as we have said before, is the regular course of nature.
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