Dependence and independence are necessary phases that a goes through in
the maturing process. Both are simplifications of relationships that are
useful until a person gains more experience and develops a deeper
understanding of the world. A useful growth model, from Covey and others,
is:
dependence -> independence -> interdependence
Each phase must be experienced to grow into the next level of maturity.
Children start off being very dependent on their parents and other adults.
This dependence is reduced as they grow. Teenagers start developing their
independence to break out of the dependency model. Adults must develop an
understanding of the true interdependency of people and their environment
before they can cooperate in implementing decisions that are beneficial
for -- indeed, necessary for the long term survival of -- our societies
and our world. That many "adults" never reach the interdependent maturity
level is obvious from the decisions we collectively make that lead to our
downfall, whether it be a company, a society or our world.
The major problem with the independent level is that those individuals do
not yet recognize that they are part of a system and are constrained by
that system. The growing movement of teaching systems thinking to our
young people gives me some hope for the future that we will, by fostering
more mature adults, move our society out of its adolescent phase.
Is there a maturity phase beyond the interdependent level? I suspect so,
but I am still just groping around its edges.
"No man is an island" -- Song lyric (Simon & Garfunkel)
> From: Simon Buckingham <go57@dial.pipex.com>
>
> I said that "For me, dependence on other people is neither a good thing,
> nor a necessary thing". Richard C. Holloway and Eugene Taurman both
> strongly disagreed with me.
> ...
>
> It is the realization of the voluntary exchange principle that no-one need
> do anything they do not want to that renders collective negotiation and
> compromise unnecessary. Choices exist, and therefore independence.
--Dave Patterson
davep@tessi.com TSSI!Beaverton!OR!USA!Earth!Sol!MilkyWay!KnownUniverse!UnknownUniverse...
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>