This text shows how two faces looking in opposite directions; the face turned towards the lower levels which is that of an autonomous whole, and the one turned upward which is a dependent part are important in the diagnosis in complex SES. this is because in this this analysis, normally what are found, are intermediary structures on a series of levels in ascending order of complexity. Thus, by referring to three aspects of decomposability of complex systems and a meta-analysis of 32 case studies of community forests in Mexico, the importance of opposite directions in the course of explaining variable interactions and configurations to achieve desired system outcomes across Social-Ecological System is explained.