Synergy is the only word in our language that means…

Synergy is the only word in our language that means behavior of whole systems unpredicted by the separately observed behaviors of any of the system’s separate parts or any subassembly of the system’s parts. There is nothing in the chemistry of a toenail that predicts the existence of a human being.

Sourced, Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth (1963)

Other Buckminster Fuller Quotes

People have feet. Trees have roots. - View Quote Details on People have feet. Trees have roots.
Corporations are neither physical nor metaphysical phenomena. They are socioeconomic ploys — legally enacted game-playing — agreed upon only between overwhelmingly powerful socioeconomic individuals and by them imposed upon human society and its all unwitting members. - View Quote Details on Corporations are neither physical nor metaphysical phenomena. They are socioeconomic…
The physical is inherently entropic, giving off energy in ever more disorderly ways. The metaphysical is antientropic, methodically marshalling energy. Life is antientropic. It is spontaneously inquisitive. It sorts out and endeavors to understand. - View Quote Details on The physical is inherently entropic, giving off energy in ever…
Man is going to be displaced altogether as a specialist by the computer. Man himself is being forced to reestablish, employ, and enjoy his innate “comprehensivity.” Coping with the totality of Spaceship Earth and universe is ahead for all of us. - View Quote Details on Man is going to be displaced altogether as a specialist…
Love is omni-inclusive, progressively exquisite, understanding and compassionately attuned to other than self. - View Quote Details on Love is omni-inclusive, progressively exquisite, understanding and compassionately attuned to…
If the success or failure of this planet, and of human beings, depended on how I am and what I do, how would I be? What would I do? - View Quote Details on If the success or failure of this planet, and of…
It is the integrity of each individual human that is in final examination. On personal integrity hangs humanity’s fate. You can decieve others, you can decieve your brain-self, but you can’t decieve your mind-self — for mind deals only in the discovery of truth and the interrelationship of all truths. The cosmic laws with which mind deals are noncorruptible. Cosmic evolution is omniscient God comprehensively articulate. - View Quote Details on It is the integrity of each individual human that is…
We are here as local information harvesters, local problem-solvers in support of the integrity of eternally regenerative Universe. The fact that we get away from physical problems doesn’t mean we go away from problems. The problems are really rarely physical. - View Quote Details on We are here as local information harvesters, local problem-solvers in…
All sports are time control demonstrations… - View Quote Details on All sports are time control demonstrations…
I never try to tell anybody else what to do, number one. And number two, I think that’s what the individual is all about. Each one of us has something to contribute. This really depends on each one doing their own thinking, but not following any kind of rule that I can give out, any command. We’re all on the frontier, we’re all in a great mystery — incredibly mysterious. Each one possesses exactly what each one is working out, and what each one works out relates to their particular set of circumstances of any one day, or any one place around the world. - View Quote Details on I never try to tell anybody else what to do,…