composition and division

True of the parts is not automatically true of the whole. Or the reverse.

Wrong: “Every component is fast, so the system is fast.”

Right: “Where does the time actually go?”

Systems are made of interactions, and those are where the time goes.

Two directions of the same mistake. Composition goes part-to-whole: every ingredient is delicious, so the meal is. Division goes whole-to-part: the company is profitable, so this team is.

Some properties do transfer and some don’t, and which is which isn’t obvious. The fallacy is assuming rather than checking.

Now go check the parts and the whole.