The Whole is Greater than the Sum of the Parts

I was talking to my dad the other day, and he said something that stuck with me - and I have been mentally chewing on it ever since. It was a simple observation - probably one that is patently obvious on the face of it. He said that the reason men band together and form governments (federal, state, local) and other organizations and institutions is that together they can accomplish more than a man can on his own alone.

I got to thinking about that. I have been watching men build highways and bridges on my way to work and from my vantage point in the office space I have been working in for the past couple of months. I got to thinking about it. You never see a single man build a highway. Or a bridge. The scale of the enterprise is so complex and massive and daunting it is beyond the capacity of one man to build it.

There are so many things that we do as a "corporate" function that we take for granted. Roads, a military defense, schools, policing, hospitals, clinics, etc. They all exist in the background and we mostly don't even think of them. Yet the big difference between one society and another in the terms of their level of accomplishment - is the level to which man (people) can successfully band together to accomplish so many things that are bigger than any man.

One of my family members was discussing a former employee of a company he used to work for, branching off and starting a similar enterprise with a similar sorta name (till he was sued into the ground by the former employer). Yet the organization I work for (who shall remain nameless) probably doesn't have as much to worry about ex-employees setting up multi-billion dollar research and manufacturing setups. It could happen, but the chances are significantly smaller. And what we produce and accomplish is really more than any one man can do as well. Something else on the face of it that we may take for granted - but only exists because many men (people) band together to make something not easily made by a single person.

There are alot of ways in my life where this also holds true. As a family we are stronger and better together than apart. As a member of a local assembly of Christians I am better off with the encouragement and strength and help I get from my brethren. And as a participant in low carb forums and message boards like this I also get strength, encouragement, information, advice, pep-talks, course corrections, etc. It is better not to go through life alone, if you want to accomplish many big things. The results will be better if you are part of some larger group of folks pulling together and working towards an objective. Even if that objective is building a road or a bridge, or working to get to heaven with as many folks as we can get to go with us, or just mastering the mechanics of our bodies to lose weight and achieve better health.

Anyhow - to all those that help me build my bridges - THANKS!