The Interdependence of Life and why it does us good

The beauty of looking at the theme of interdependence brings a certain warmth, because we know we are never truly alone. We move in flocks of interdependence. Even if, at times, the brain, in the classic case of the mind that lies, may give us the illusion of separation. The human body has about 30 trillion cells and 38 trillion microorganisms. A near 1:1 ratio. We are walking ecosystems.

Interdependence is a mutual relationship between two or more systems, organisms, or parts, in which the functioning, survival, or performance of each depends on interaction with the others. Just as flowers depend on bees for pollination, bees depend on the nectar of flowers for nourishment. Just as the human body shows interdependence between organs (brain, lungs, and heart), and between the body and its microbiota. Interdependence reveals that no part exists or functions fully in isolation, everything is connected in networks of exchange, influence, and coevolution. This notion is essential for understanding life as a relational system, and not as separate entities competing for resources. In fact, this idea that life is all about competition would warrant another newsletter entirely!

Looking at our health, our relationships, our learning, and our businesses through the lens of interdependence broadens our view of context, deepens sensitivity to different realities, and improves relationships and overall well-being. It has that power.

Humberto Maturana, dear Chilean biologist considered one of the most influential thinkers on life, cognition, and living systems, along with Francisco Varela, developed foundational concepts that transformed the way we see biology and the philosophy of mind. A true reference point for the social sciences. The view proposed by Maturana and Varela breaks away from the mechanistic and individualistic paradigm. They show that life is woven through relationship, and that there is no such thing as an isolated organism. Survival, knowledge, and identity emerge from the in-between, from constant interaction with the world and with others. For Maturana and Varela, cognition is not a mental act, but a biological process. Everything we define as biological refers to the evolutionary complexity we carry as a species, systems, organs, and processes designed for specific actions. Nothing is in vain. And our way of being in the world has a biological basis to allow us to be. But this doesn’t necessarily mean we’re making the best use of our potential. Human beings have learned more about how to be individuals than how to be collective.

I often repeat this quote from Maturana in talks, innovation consultancies, and creativity workshops because I believe it’s central to opening up the idea of the in-between:

“It is in the space between beings that nature creates form.”

Every form is an expression of the dance of context, and the between shapes the parts that are interdependent. To make this concept more tangible, let’s return to the idea of exchange. And for that, I bring in the concept of “inter-being.”

“You cannot be by yourself. You can only inter-be with everything else.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

Interbeing means recognizing that everything contains everything else. A piece of paper, for example, carries within it: the sun that nourished the tree, the rain that fell upon it, the process that cut it down, the truck that transported it, the factory that processed it,  and ultimately, the paper itself. Everything that is, only is because it is in relation to everything else. We could even discuss externalities in this simple summary of the paper-making process. Externalities are the positive or negative impacts of an economic activity. The irony is that nothing is truly external. Everything is interconnected.

In human life, the concept of interbeing means that no “I” is more important than the “we,” and the “we” is not just a sum of individuals, but a living web that shapes us. Health, consciousness, and even evolution depend on this deep relationship between self and other.

In 2007, I took a course at Schumacher College in the English countryside. A cutting-edge school focused on new economies, deep ecology, and holistic sciences. That was my first encounter with biomimicry and also with the work of Fritjof Capra. In The Web of Life, Capra defines that life organizes itself in networks of relationships, and it is the pattern of these connections, not the isolated elements, that gives rise to the complexity and intelligence of living beings. Instead of rigid structures, living systems are characterized by continuous processes of exchange, regeneration, and transformation. The identity of a living being lies in how it relates, not in fixed parts. In our current world, facing ecological, social, and existential crises, largely caused by a worldview of separation , Capra reminds us that the health of systems (social, human, and ecological) depends on the quality of relationships. Regeneration comes from cooperation, not control.

The human brain allows for creativity and belonging in environments of affection, exchange, and safety. Safe, empathetic relationships regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and strengthen resilience. Chronic loneliness and social disconnection are linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation. Just as being in nature is good for us, being in good relationships is also deeply beneficial. We are biologically social beings.

Life is made of entanglements. In the book Entangled Life (which I highly recommend), biologist and mycologist Merlin Sheldrake describes the fascinating world of fungi — organisms that live between kingdoms, dissolving the boundaries between self and other, between individual and network. Fungi have existed on Earth for 1.3 billion years. They are utterly embedded in life’s interdependence. They play a fundamental role in sustaining life in its many forms: they recycle, ferment, decompose, connect, heal, and even influence animal and human behavior. They are essential in food production, medicine (like penicillin), and even in cleaning polluted environments. The longer a being has existed on Earth, the greater its interdependence. That is evolution.

Separation is an illusion. A navigational error.

We are entangled — from the forests that breathe with us to the love that sustains our human connections. Interdependence is the basic condition of existence. We are not outside of nature.

We are nature in human form.

What we do to the Earth, we do to ourselves.

Nothing exists on its own. Everything that is, only is because it is in relation. May we be relationships.