Behavior Quote by John Henry Holland
“nonlinear interactions almost always make the behavior of the aggregate more complicated than would be predicted by summing or averaging.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems, 1975
Complex group behavior arises from nonlinear interactions, not simple sums.
In simple terms: Complexity exceeds simple averages.
Study interaction effects, not just components.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- economics
- ecology
- social dynamics
- engineering
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How to capture emergent properties?
- What tools reveal nonlinear effects?
Modeling may oversimplify real systems.