The acknowledgement of complexity, however, certainly does not lead to the conclusion that anything goes. - Paul Cilliers

Each element in the system is ignorant of the behaviour of the system as a whole, it responds only to information that is available to it locally... If each element 'knew' what was happening to the system as a whole, all of the complexity would have to be present in that element.

In order to constitute a complex system, the elements have to interact, and this interaction must be dynamic.

There has to be a constant flow of energy to maintain the organization of the system and to ensure its survival. Equilibrium is another word for death.