Complex systems cannot be understood by reduction alone. The whole reveals patterns that cannot be found in the parts.

In complex systems, cause and effect are not linearly related. Small changes can have enormous consequences, while large interventions may have minimal effects.

The world is not complicated because of complexity, but because of the simplicity we impose on it.

Complexity arises when simple components interact according to simple rules, creating patterns that transcend their origins.

We are trying to solve complex problems with minds evolved for hunting and gathering. No wonder we struggle.

Complexity is not about how many parts a system has, but about how those parts interact and relate to each other.

The most complex system we know is the human brain trying to understand itself.

In complex systems, the map is never the territory. Our models are always simplifications that miss essential features.

Complexity is what happens when you have enough simple things interacting that new properties emerge.

The human mind craves simplicity in a complex world, which is why we so often settle for wrong answers that feel right.

Complex systems cannot be controlled, only influenced. The illusion of control is the most dangerous simplification.

Nature is not complex because it is complicated, but because it is simple in ways we don't yet understand.

The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas about complexity in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.

Complexity is not the enemy of understanding. Oversimplification is.

In complex systems, the most important events are often the most improbable ones.

We build complex systems to solve complex problems, only to discover that we've created new complex problems.

The complexity of a system is proportional to the amount of information needed to describe it, but inversely proportional to our understanding of it.

Simple rules can generate immense complexity, but complex rules rarely generate anything but confusion.

The art of navigating complexity lies not in finding the right answer, but in asking the right questions.

Complex systems teach us humility. The more we learn, the more we realize how much we don't understand.

In complex systems, the solution to one problem often becomes the cause of the next.

Complexity is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be navigated.

The most dangerous mistake in dealing with complex systems is assuming they will behave linearly.

Complexity emerges at the edge of chaos, where order and randomness dance together.

We are pattern-seeking animals in a universe of complex patterns. Our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness.