--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The word “coherence” literally means…" description: "\"“The word “coherence” literally means holding or sticking together, but it is usually used to refer to a system, an idea, or a worldview whose parts fi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/jonathan-haidt-1823_coping-mechanisms_the-word-coherence-literally-means-holdi_1754992.jpg" --- # The word “coherence” literally means holding or sticking… ![“The word “coherence” literally means holding or sticking together, but it is usually used to refer to a system, an idea, or a worldview whose parts fit together in a consistent and efficient way. Coherent things work well: A coherent worldview can explain almost anything, while an incoherent…” quote by Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/jonathan-haidt-1823_coping-mechanisms_the-word-coherence-literally-means-holdi_1754992.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/jonathan-haidt-1823_coping-mechanisms_the-word-coherence-literally-means-holdi_1754992.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a28/jonathan-haidt-1823_coping-mechanisms_the-word-coherence-literally-means-holdi_1754992.jpg) > ““The word “coherence” literally means holding or sticking together, but it is usually used to refer to a system, an idea, or a worldview whose parts fit together in a consistent and efficient way. Coherent things work well: A coherent worldview can explain almost anything, while an incoherent worldview is hobbled by internal contradictions. … Whenever a system can be analyzed at multiple levels, a special kind of coherence occurs when the levels mesh and mutually interlock. We saw this cross-level coherence in the analysis of personality: If your lower-level traits match up with your coping mechanisms, which in turn are consistent with your life story, your personality is well integrated and you can get on with the business of living. When these levels do not cohere, you are likely to be torn by internal contradictions and neurotic conflicts. You might need adversity to knock yourself into alignment. And if you do achieve coherence, the moment when things come together may be one of the most profound of your life. … Finding coherence across levels feels like enlightenment, and it is crucial for answering the question of purpose within life. People are multilevel systems in another way: We are physical objects (bodies and brains) from which minds somehow emerge; and from our minds, somehow societies and cultures form. To understand ourselves fully we must study all three levels—physical, psychological, and sociocultural. There has long been a division of academic labor: Biologists studied the brain as a physical object, psychologists studied the mind, and sociologists and anthropologists studied the socially constructed environments within which minds develop and function. But a division of labor is productive only when the tasks are coherent—when all lines of work eventually combine to make something greater than the sum of its parts. For much of the twentieth century that didn’t happen — each field ignored the others and focused on its own questions. But nowadays cross-disciplinary work is flourishing, spreading out from the middle level (psychology) along bridges (or perhaps ladders) down to the physical level (for example, the field of cognitive neuroscience) and up to the sociocultural level (for example, cultural psychology). The sciences are linking up, generating cross-level coherence, and, like magic, big new ideas are beginning to emerge. Here is one of the most profound ideas to come from the ongoing synthesis: People gain a sense of meaning when their lives cohere across the three levels of their existence.”” [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Coherence means parts of a system fit together consistently, allowing it to function efficiently and provide meaning. **In simple terms:** Coherence is when parts fit well together. Key Takeaway Seek alignment across levels. Themes psychology philosophy systems thinking personal growth Mood reflective inquisitive Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - personal decision making - therapy - organizational design - interdisciplinary research Key Concepts integrative thinking cross-level analysis holistic understanding Questions to Reflect On - How can you align your habits with your deeper values? - What steps can foster cross‑disciplinary collaboration? A Different Perspective Coherence can be hard to achieve because disciplines often work in isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coherence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coherence/) [Coping mechanisms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coping-mechanisms/) [Division of labor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/division-of-labor/) [Life story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-story/) [Sticking together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sticking-together/) ## Related quotes > [I am totally convinced the Christian faith is the most coherent worldview around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/i-am-totally-convinced-the-christian-faith-is-the-most-coherent/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [A League of Their Own' had some special meaning for me, I guess - it's about women joining together and being empowered, but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebel-wilson/a-league-of-their-own-had-some-special-meaning-for-me-i-guess-it-s/) [Rebel Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebel-wilson/) > [I can see the Beatles sticking together forever, really. We've been together a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/i-can-see-the-beatles-sticking-together-forever-really-we-ve-been/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [I don't want you to look at my skin and think "white" or look at my heritage and think "Mexican." I want you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-guzman/i-don-t-want-you-to-look-at-my-skin-and-think-white-or-look-at-my/) [Ryan Guzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-guzman/) > [“I made it my mission to help him see the light, to reveal life has meaning. And in the process, he helped recover the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allyson-kennedy/i-made-it-my-mission-to-help-him-see-the-light-to-reveal-life-has/) Allyson Kennedy > [This love is taking us forward somewhere..where the roads seem harsh for long.In such a situation,just smile for me…:)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/destiny-dreams/this-love-is-taking-us-forward-somewhere-where-the-roads-seem-harsh/) [Destiny Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/destiny-dreams/) > [“A bully is nothing more than a bunch of bull with a Y attached to its rear.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorin-morgan-richards/a-bully-is-nothing-more-than-a-bunch-of-bull-with-a-y-attached-to-its/) [Lorin Morgan-Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorin-morgan-richards/) > [My Dad was such an incredible person, and you have the option of just curling up in a dark corner and letting it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bindi-irwin/my-dad-was-such-an-incredible-person-and-you-have-the-option-of-just/) [Bindi Irwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bindi-irwin/) > [Best friends are like thighs they are always sticking together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/best-friends-are-like-thighs-they-are-always-sticking-together/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I had everything you could collect. I had these Spice Girls postcards. I also had the stickers and Barbie girls. I had all five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo/i-had-everything-you-could-collect-i-had-these-spice-girls-postcards/) MO > [“How am I friends with them? Oh yeah, just smooshed together through life, and ended up sticking together. I guess I am stuck with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-l-foster/how-am-i-friends-with-them-oh-yeah-just-smooshed-together-through/) C.L. Foster > [Respect is having respect for the people you play with and against, and respect for the shirt. Unity is about sticking together but also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moeen-ali/respect-is-having-respect-for-the-people-you-play-with-and-against/) [Moeen Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moeen-ali/) > [In this industry, all the heads of labels are men, but every artist has to prove themselves, regardless of their sex. I have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-ora/in-this-industry-all-the-heads-of-labels-are-men-but-every-artist-has/) [Rita Ora](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-ora/) > [Our sister is going through a difficult time but were a close family and are sticking together like always We appreciate everyones kindness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kourtney-kardashian/our-sister-is-going-through-a-difficult-time-but-were-a-close-family/) [Kourtney Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kourtney-kardashian/) > [In football you never know what's around the corner, but by sticking together - directors, management, players and fans - we can look to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-warnock/in-football-you-never-know-what-s-around-the-corner-but-by-sticking/) [Neil Warnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-warnock/) ## More by Jonathan Haidt > [Love and work are to people what water and sunshine are to plants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/love-and-work-are-to-people-what-water-and-sunshine-are-to-plants/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [You can see the rider serving the elephant when people are morally dumbfounded. They have strong gut feelings about what is right and wrong,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/you-can-see-the-rider-serving-the-elephant-when-people-are-morally/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Congress is full of good, decent, smart people who have devoted their lives to public service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/congress-is-full-of-good-decent-smart-people-who-have-devoted-their/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [Once you understand the power of stimulus control, you can use it to your advantage by changing the stimuli in your environment and avoiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/once-you-understand-the-power-of-stimulus-control-you-can-use-it-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“The ethic of autonomy is based on the idea that people are, first and foremost, autonomous individuals with wants, needs, and preferences. People should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-ethic-of-autonomy-is-based-on-the-idea-that-people-are-first-and/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I got interested in the American culture war back in 2004, and it's one of the only growth stocks I've ever invested in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-got-interested-in-the-american-culture-war-back-in-2004-and-it-s/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [I think of myself as a social scientist. In order to get hired and to get promoted, we're forced to declare a disciplinary and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/i-think-of-myself-as-a-social-scientist-in-order-to-get-hired-and-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“We should not expect individuals to produce good, open-minded, truth-seeking reasoning, particularly when self-interest or reputational concerns are in play. But if you put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/we-should-not-expect-individuals-to-produce-good-open-minded-truth/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation - a force for construction and destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/the-most-powerful-force-ever-known-on-this-planet-is-human/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [It only takes twenty generations of selective breeding to create large differences or appearance and behavior in other mammals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/it-only-takes-twenty-generations-of-selective-breeding-to-create/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [If you think half of America votes badly because they are stupid or religious, you are trapped in a matrix ... Take the red…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-think-half-of-america-votes-badly-because-they-are-stupid-or/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“Our minds have the potential to become righteous about many different concerns, and only a few of these concerns are activated during childhood. Other”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/our-minds-have-the-potential-to-become-righteous-about-many-different/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [People who devote their lives to studying something often come to believe that the object of their fascination is the key to understanding everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/people-who-devote-their-lives-to-studying-something-often-come-to/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [“Nonetheless, if you are trying to change an organization or a society and you do not consider the effects of your changes on moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/nonetheless-if-you-are-trying-to-change-an-organization-or-a-society/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) > [If you have a personality predisposed to liberalism, you might gravitate more to the artsy crowd or the anti-establishment crowd. And then those peers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-haidt/if-you-have-a-personality-predisposed-to-liberalism-you-might/) [Jonathan Haidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) [Explore all 204 Jonathan Haidt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-haidt/) ## More Coherence quotes > [I have a strong spiritual commitment, and I try to express that in my work. Salvation cannot be worked out in human terms. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-grossman/i-have-a-strong-spiritual-commitment-and-i-try-to-express-that-in-my/) [Richard Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-grossman/) > [The superpowers often behave like two heavily armed blind men feeling their way around a room, each believing himself in mortal peril from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-superpowers-often-behave-like-two-heavily-armed-blind-men-feeling/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Freedom! To fill people's mailboxes, eyes, ears and brains with commercial rubbish against their will, television programs that are impossible to watch with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/freedom-to-fill-people-s-mailboxes-eyes-ears-and-brains-with/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By exposing the multiplicity, the facticity, the repetition and stereotype at the heart of every aesthetic gesture, photography deconstructs the possibility of differentiating between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-e-krauss/by-exposing-the-multiplicity-the-facticity-the-repetition-and/) [Rosalind E. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-e-krauss/) > [We have power... Our power isn’t in a political system, or a religious system, or in an economic system, or in a military system;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-trudell/we-have-power-our-power-isn-t-in-a-political-system-or-a-religious/) [John Trudell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-trudell/) > [“To live, it seems, is to explain, to justify, and to find coherence among diverse outcomes, characteristics, and causes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-gilovich/to-live-it-seems-is-to-explain-to-justify-and-to-find-coherence-among/) [Thomas Gilovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-gilovich/) > [In our view any awareness is an increment to consciousness, an added light, a reinforcement of psychic coherence. Its swiftness or instantaneity can hide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-bachelard/in-our-view-any-awareness-is-an-increment-to-consciousness-an-added/) [Gaston Bachelard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-bachelard/) > [No one can threaten poetry. It's always been there, always will be. Humans need it to live: it has sustaining powers. How could we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-orr/no-one-can-threaten-poetry-it-s-always-been-there-always-will-be/) [Gregory Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-orr/) > [Art and ideology often interact on each other; but the plain fact is that both spring from a common source. Both draw on human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-tynan/art-and-ideology-often-interact-on-each-other-but-the-plain-fact-is/) [Kenneth Tynan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-tynan/) > [Whether it is good or evil, whether life in itself is pain or pleasure, whether it is uncertain-that it may perhaps be this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/whether-it-is-good-or-evil-whether-life-in-itself-is-pain-or-pleasure/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“Coherence suggests that there is harmony, unity, and integrity between your vision and mission, your roles and goals, your priorities and plans, and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-r-covey/coherence-suggests-that-there-is-harmony-unity-and-integrity-between/) [Stephen R. Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-r-covey/) > [Recent studies of mindfulness practices reveal that they can result in profound improvements in a range of physiological, mental, and interpersonal domains in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-siegel/recent-studies-of-mindfulness-practices-reveal-that-they-can-result/) [Daniel J. Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-siegel/) > [“I miss talking to him. Every time I come across something I think he'd like, I just wish I could call him up or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lang-leav/i-miss-talking-to-him-every-time-i-come-across-something-i-think-he-d/) [Lang Leav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lang-leav/) > [The genuine coherence of our ideas does not come from the reasoning that ties them together, but from the spiritual impulse that gives rise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-gomez-davila/the-genuine-coherence-of-our-ideas-does-not-come-from-the-reasoning/) [Nicolas Gomez Davila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-gomez-davila/) > [“Perfect valour is to do without witnesses what one would do before all the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perfect-valour-is-to-do-without-witnesses-what-one-would-do-before/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) [Browse all 140 Coherence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coherence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The word “coherence” literally means holding or sticking together, but it is usually used to refer to a system, an idea, or a worldview whose parts fit together in a consistent and efficient way. Coherent things work well: A coherent worldview can explain almost anything, while an incoherent worldview is hobbled by internal contradictions. … Whenever a system can be analyzed at multiple levels, a special kind of coherence occurs when the levels mesh and mutually interlock. We saw this cross-level coherence in the analysis of personality: If your lower-level traits match up with your coping mechanisms, which in turn are consistent with your life story, your personality is well integrated and you can get on with the business of living. When these levels do not cohere, you are likely to be torn by internal contradictions and neurotic conflicts. You might need adversity to knock yourself into alignment. And if you do achieve coherence, the moment when things come together may be one of the most profound of your life. … Finding coherence across levels feels like enlightenment, and it is crucial for answering the question of purpose within life. People are multilevel systems in another way: We are physical objects (bodies and brains) from which minds somehow emerge; and from our minds, somehow societies and cultures form. To understand ourselves fully we must study all three levels—physical, psychological, and sociocultural. There has long been a division of academic labor: Biologists studied the brain as a physical object, psychologists studied the mind, and sociologists and anthropologists studied the socially constructed environments within which minds develop and function. But a division of labor is productive only when the tasks are coherent—when all lines of work eventually combine to make something greater than the sum of its parts. For much of the twentieth century that didn’t happen — each field ignored the others and focused on its own questions. But nowadays cross-disciplinary work is flourishing, spreading out from the middle level (psychology) along bridges (or perhaps ladders) down to the physical level (for example, the field of cognitive neuroscience) and up to the sociocultural level (for example, cultural psychology). The sciences are linking up, generating cross-level coherence, and, like magic, big new ideas are beginning to emerge. 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