Interdependence and the Keys to a Healthy Society

In one of my prior Valuables articles, I spent some time discussing the concept of “interdependence.” The idea comes from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which teaches that each of us as humans has certain essential needs. The hierarchy starts out with basic physiological needs like having enough food and shelter, before moving on to security, community and belonging, and, eventually, self-actualization.

While Maslow’s hierarchy can seem abstract at first, we see a version of it play out all the time in wealth management. When we sit down and talk with new clients and conduct our financial roadmap interview to learn about their values and goals, the subject of security invariably comes up. People want to accumulate enough wealth so they feel secure — which is another way of saying that they would like to have the freedom to do the things they want with their lives.

The next thing people tell us in these discussions is that they want financial security to help them achieve a greater sense of community and belonging. In other words, they’re desiring the freedom to support their family and to contribute to causes that are important to them and have a lasting impact on the world.

Why interdependence matters

This is where the concept of “interdependence” comes in. As human beings, we can’t live on our own and be satisfied. We are social creatures, and much of the meaning we derive in this life comes from our reliance upon and connection to our fellow humans.

Unfortunately, our world is very divided these days and  it feels like many of us forget this simple truth. Which is why I wanted to spend a little more time talking about this important concept of interdependence.

Two types of interdependence 

There are two main types of interdependence. The first is what’s known as “part-whole interdependence.”

To help illustrate the point, think of a university. It’s made up of students, faculty, and administrators. But these parts can’t really have an identity unless they’re part of the whole — the university. At the same time, the university can’t exist without its students, faculty, and administrators. In other words, the parts are reliant upon the whole; and at the same time, the whole is reliant upon the parts.

The second kind of interdependence has to do with our shared conceptions and definitions as a society, which can produce some very powerful results indeed.

Think about currency, for instance. In a total vacuum, the “value” of a $5 bill and a $20 bill should be the exact same. They are two pieces of paper with some green ink on them. Nothing differentiates them, other than the numbers printed on the paper.

What distinguishes their value? It’s our mutually agreed-upon understanding and conception of currency. As a society, we have imbued certain objects with value. The entire structure rests on this shared agreement. Currency’s value is nothing more than the interdependence of our society agreeing together that it is worth something.

We can expand this line of reasoning to other parts of society. We mutually agree that the President and Congress, whether or not you agree with whatever legislation they’re taking up at a given moment, are legitimate sources of power. We are dependent on this concept for a functioning government; while they are dependent on the consent of the people to have any sort of power at all. Without these interdependencies, our society would fall apart. We would have no way of surviving, and certainly not thriving or making our way up Maslow’s hierarchy.

Which brings me to California Redwood trees.

No, that’s not a non-sequitur. Redwoods are perhaps the single best example of interdependence in our world. Looking out at a grove of redwood trees, you see what looks like thousands of individual trees. Each one on its own would seem to be a symbol of strength and independence.

Nothing could be further from the truth. If you drill down and look at the root systems of California Redwoods, you’ll discover that they only descend a few feet. Redwoods don’t get their strength from their depth; they get it from their breadth. Their strength comes from the fact that the trees share a root system spread across the entire grove. Although they may look like independent trees, they are all actually part of the same organism.  

The human lesson of interdependence

What’s the lesson for us to take as humans? It’s that we’re not independent forces in the world. We all, ultimately, rely on each other.

Does that mean that we’re always going to agree on the issues of the world? Of course not. We don’t all approach these things or our lives in the same way. And that’s okay. What matters is our interdependence.

In today’s world, where it feels like our first response to disagreement is to cut ourselves off from each other, it’s worth remembering: We’ll never achieve happiness or security that way. In the end, we all depend on each other. And we have to remember that without the whole, the parts can’t survive.