ABSTRACT
The word ‘synergy’ has sometimes been used in the sense of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. But this is not the word’s root meaning; this interpretation is a consequence of synergy in its original sense. Because the elements in a synergetic system support each other, they also support the functioning of the system as a whole, and the performance of the whole is improved. Synergy in an organism is the essence of life, and it is intimately related to health. When for some reason synergy drops and the organism as a whole does not receive the full support of its many parts, it becomes ill. When synergy is lost altogether, the organism dies. Viewed as a system, human society would appear to be in a state of comparatively low synergy. The amount of synergy in society is a reflection of the way in which we perceive ourselves in relation to the world around.
