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I is for ‘Interdependence'

9:30:00 am


Today’s letter for the AtoZ Blogging Challenge is ‘I’ for my theme ‘A to Z of Effectiveness’. You can read more about my theme here. I’m also participating in the NaBloPoMo for April.

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Do you know a person who is pretty successful in her field, but still takes time out to help other people? I know a few people like that and I marvel at their selflessness. They could consider it a waste of valuable time that they could use to further their own business/growth. Or they could be threatened by people who might turn out to be competitors in the future. But such people don’t think in that manner, for they have truly mastered the concept of interdependence.

In ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’, Stephen Covey talks about the Maturity Continuum, a natural progression from dependence to independence to interdependence. While he does propagate individual independence, he thinks that the modern world puts too much importance on it, resulting in troubles within families, organizations and any kind of team. While becoming independent may give a temporary high, there’s only so long you can go before you don’t need someone’s help and support. Interdependence is not just the way for the world to move forward; it is also the way to lasting personal success.

You often hear of people who claim to be ‘self-made men’. But is that really possible? Wouldn’t this man also have had all kinds of help along the way to the top – probably some that he doesn’t even know of? We haven’t been programmed to live in isolation; and as long as we don’t accept this, we lose out on a lot of things – love, friendship, opportunities, learning etc.

One can become interdependent only after independence; you need to have the ability to stand on your own before you can make a contribution to a team. And when you acquire the maturity to put aside your ‘self’ and look at the big picture; that’s when you feel truly effective.


I’m on the journey to independence!! Where do you see yourself on the Maturity Continuum – Dependent, Independent or Interdependent? 

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12 comments

  1. I know one such person, who is very good in his field and doesn't think twice before helping others! They are truly the epitome of selflessness and their mere presence demands respect from others.

    It Happens For A Reason

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    Replies
    1. Very true, Swathi!! Such people are truly a source of inspiration!

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  2. That's really thought provoking. Most of us think about being independent but rarely about interdependent. You have a wonderful blog :)
    Keep Writing.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Simran!! That's very encouraging!

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  3. As the old song goes, "I Get By with a Little Help from My Friends". ☺ My husband and I are best friends and very much interdependent on each other, going on 42 years.

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    Replies
    1. Having your spouse as your closest friend is truly one of the best things in the world!! Congratulations!

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  4. Very interesting. I love that quotation from Mahatma Ghandi. I see all of us as being interdependent in some sense--we rely on one another, for example, to agree on the established social contract of wherever we happen to live. If we want to challenge that social contract, it definitely helps to be independent, but we won't get far without opting for interdependence.

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    Replies
    1. Exactly!!! Wherever in the world we live, we just can't do without interdependence!

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  5. Not only at workplace even in most important relationship like Marriage and Friendships, interdependence reveals trust and harmony.

    #AtoZChallenge, Visit us at http://sinhasat302.blogspot.in/

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    Replies
    1. Very true!! Interdependence should begin at home, and then in workplaces and in society at large.

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  6. I agree. Only with being independence first can you achieve interdependence.

    And thanks for visiting my blog :)

    ReplyDelete

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