"The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself." —Carl Sagan

"The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself." —Carl Sagan

"Before the change, there is a prelude, a priming, a saturation of mutual learning between organisms through which pathways of possibility are produced." —Nora Bateson

"Before the change, there is a prelude, a priming, a saturation of mutual learning between organisms through which pathways of possibility are produced." —Nora Bateson

Expanding Change and Interdependency

What follows is a two-part series; the first half is a story about expanding change and interdependency, and the second is how to be part of this process of change.

Yes, interdependency is commonly defined as characterized by mutual reliance. It is used in the realm of relationships to describe a means to create first-order change that will make an initial difference regarding social/environmental problems. By all accounts, this seems like an excellent framework to create better relationships. Yet we are far from mitigating so many interpersonal difficulties, not to mention environmental and socio-political discord and conflict. How is it that psychotherapy and allopathic medicine, which use interdependency quite often in their goals, for instance, although advanced technology-wise, are still predominantly focused on maintaining the negative effects of poor habitual sustenance, pesticides, and generalized stress? Ivan Illich's concept of iatrogenesis, self-fulfilling illness, is still a prevalent reality in our society.

These outcomes are ill-conceived, fail to account for our complexity, and are treated as separate entities or as needing a specialist. This forces those labeled as change agents, i.e., teachers, medical personnel, and politicians, to become part of the problems, working in isolation. Rather than being allowed to make a difference that makes a difference........

© Psychology Today