I have spent years studying what it means to be white in a society that proclaims race meaningless, yet is deeply divided by race.
Robin DiangeloRead
It has been said: The whole is more than the sum of its parts. It is more correct to say that the whole is something else than the sum of its parts, because summing up is a meaningless procedure, whereas the whole-part relationship is meaningful.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The whole entity possesses qualities and meanings that cannot be captured merely by adding its individual components.
Kurt Koffka's quote emphasizes the idea that simply adding parts together does not equate to understanding the essence of a whole. It suggests that the relationship between the parts and the whole yields more significant insights and meanings, indicating that the overall context and interaction of those parts create value that is greater than just their numerical addition.
Themes
WholePartsMeaningRelationshipPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a team-building workshop to highlight the importance of collaboration.
Similar quotes
Would you take a billion dollars, if as part of the deal the Earth were made uninhabitable a year after your death? ... well, of course not; you care about your friends, above all your children, any grandchildren. But ... what if the deal calls for the planet to be poisoned a thousand years later? We feel strong obligations to generations in the near future - should we not feel the same way about our children's great-grandchildren and generations beyond them?
John CleeseRead
This perfection must come through the practice of holiness and love.
Swami VivekanandaRead
If Ireland is to become a new Ireland she must first become European.
James JoyceRead
Only thought which does violence to itself is hard enough to shatter myth.
Theodor AdornoRead
Commandments and covenants of God are like navigational instructions from celestial heights and will lead us safely to our eternal destination. It is one of beauty and glory beyond understanding. It is worth the effort. It is worth making decisive corrections now and then staying on course.
Dieter F. UchtdorfRead