Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » How can the whole be greater than the sum of its parts? A car broken down consists of the same parts as that car put together doesn't it?
RosieG

How can the whole be greater than the sum of its parts? A car broken down consists of the same parts as that car put together doesn't it?

Torn down you can't drive it. It's in pieces. Put together you can. But why does that make it "more"? Or does that quotation men something else entirely?

Posted - August 31, 2018
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Responses


  • 46117
    Because I have a better chance of driving the thing with all of the parts intact.  

    Who cares how powerful one guy in the senate is, unless the whole majority is behind him.


      August 31, 2018 10:48 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    If by "one guy" you are alluding to McCain here's what matters. He has no counterpart. There is NO ONE who will pick up his sword and sally forth to carry on his mission. No one. His voice is silenced forever and all Senators who remain are uniformly much too chickensh** to say a word or do a thing. They want to be re-elected. They don't want he who shall not be named to go on a twitter rant and tweet them to death. So they just bobblehead their way through every day and hope no one notices,. The color yellow is not flattering to any of them. Spineless heartless mindless soulless jelly fish.  Thank you for your reply Sharon! :)
      September 1, 2018 5:09 AM MDT
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  • 3684
    The saying is metaphorical, so cannot be applied to a system like a car, and alludes to less tangible qualities like co-operation or teamwork.


    For example:

    Individuals cannot have much effect each. 

    Put 10 of the same individuals together, each making the same level of effort but not very cohesively with each other, will still not necessarily gain the expected 10 people's result; and certainly won't exceed it.

    Arrange them to work as a cohesive, co-operative team and they may achieve the effect of 20 individuals.

    This is even more so in organisations like big companies holding a wide range of individual skills. On his or her own the Head of Finance, the Contracts Manager or the Technical Director cannot really do anything very useful, any more than the man or woman on the shop floor could. Put then all together, plus the other managers and staff, and the company has a good chance of winning nice big healthy contracts and delivering the goods or services as wanted, because these people pool their respective talents in an organised fashion; each dependent on the others for success.
        
      September 1, 2018 4:00 PM MDT
    0