I can see the whole of it at a single glance in my mind, as if it were a beautiful painting or a handsome human being.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, German composer

A holistic mind is diametrically opposed to an analytical mind. The latter separates wholes into their constituent parts. That works well with inanimate objects, but not with living beings. Then, As Wordsworth said, ‘we murder to dissect’.

In contrast, knowing how to think holistically, to see the wood as well as the trees, to see the whole that is a sum of more than the constituent parts, is a key skill for an effective thinker.

Those who have good judgement of people tend to have more holistic minds. People may have sets of qualities or strengths and weaknesses, but a psychological analysis of their traits seldom gives you a sense of knowing them. You are always dealing with a whole person.

Holistic minds tend to be attracted to growth. They like to help individuals and teams, organizations and communities, even nations, grow to their full potential.

Are you holistically minded? Here is a simple test. If you are trying to understand a complex social situation, do you prefer someone to analyze it for you? Or is the gateway of understanding for you the story of how the situation developed? Holistic people like to know the story behind a person or situation.