Interdependence is a Higher Value than Independence.” By audreymika

“Interdependence is a higher value than independence.” Stephen R. Covey in The 7 Habits of

Highly Effective People

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Interdependent: mutually dependent; depending on each other.

Dependent: relying on someone or something else for aid, support, etc.; a person who depends on

or needs someone or something for aid, support, fav or, etc.

Independent: not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct, etc.; thinking

or acting for oneself; not subject to another’s authority or jurisdiction; autonomous; free; not

influenced by the thought or action of others

(dictionary.com)

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The first sentence of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is,

“Interdependence is a higher value than independence.” Is this true? Is it not better to be able to

operate on one’s own and be self-sufficient?

I was raised to be independent, and to value independence. I learned how to make my letters

through Sesame Street, on my own, before my parents ever tried to teach me. While my dad

helped my older sister with her homework, I just worked it out on my own. When my neighbors

tried to pay me for watching their house and pets when they vacationed for the summer, my mom

wouldn’t let me, seeing it as an act of charity and dependence on others. Independence is great! It

means you are self-sufficient, capable of working on your own without leaning on others.

However, each person can only raise themselves so high. Teamwork, the support from others –

that’s what makes us stronger. It’s a theme that frequents cartoons – superheros are amazing, but

in the end they usually need the help of someone else, whether it’s a team such as X-Men or a

side-kick like Batman and Robin. Even the independent guys like Spiderman need a Mary Jane in

their lives. Naruto is a non-superhero anime that emphases teamwork throughout the show, as

does Bleach and many others.

Without understanding teamwork and interdependence, relationships can’t happen. Friendships

are unbalanced, marriages fall apart. It’s such a common happenstance, it’s likely responsible for

many of the breakups, because people have a hard time learning to value each other and work as

a team. Even looking at the grander scale, cities depend on its citizens and on the state it’s in;

states rely on their nation, and nations must cooperate with each other, or else they fall.

There is a possibility, of course, of too much dependence on others, which I define as the inability

to be independent. Always needing someone else to think for you, to make decisions, is not

healthy. Not being about to take control of a situation because you rely on others is crippling.

There is a certain balance between dependence and independence that forms the ability to be

interdependence, and that balance is the key to teamwork.

So in conclusion, total dependence is a negative trait, as it forms the inability to function alone.

Independence is good, but only to a certain extent, as too much can cause the inability to work

with others or ask for help. Balanced interdependence is great because it builds teamwork while

allowing a certain extent of both dependence and independence.