helhetlig

Helhetlig is a Danish and Norwegian adjective describing thinking or operating in a way that takes wholes into account rather than focusing solely on individual parts. A helhetlig approach aims for coherence and integration across components, levels, and time, acknowledging that the behavior of a system emerges from interactions among its elements.

Etymology: The term derives from helhed, meaning wholeness, together with the suffix -lig, producing a word that means “characterized by wholeness” or “holistic.”

In practice, helhetlig thinking appears in many fields. In healthcare, it underpins holistic or patient-centered care, combining physical, mental, and social aspects. In education, it supports interdisciplinary curricula and learning that connects skills across subjects. In urban planning and sustainability, it advocates integrated strategies that align housing, transport, environment, and economy. In business and policy, it guides cross-functional collaboration and system-wide performance targets rather than optimizing isolated processes.

Adoption of a helhetlig approach can face challenges, such as coordinating multiple stakeholders, measuring holistic outcomes, and avoiding vagueness or superficiality. Critics may warn against overgeneralization if the concept is not anchored in concrete methods, evidence, and governance structures.

See also: holistic health, holistic education, integrated planning, interdisciplinarity.