Generally this means a close ecological relationship between members of two (or more) different species in which both species benefit mutually. Parasitism is where one species benefits and the other is harmed. Commensalism is where one species benefits and the other is neither harmed nor helped. Different species often inhabit the same spaces and share—or compete for—the same resources. In simple terms Symbiosis is the art of living together.
People have to live together. They are mutually interdependent. The relationships can be horizontal or vertical. Horizontal is when two or more parties have equal power and responsibility.Vertical is when one party has more power and control over the other party. I leave you to decide which is best & what your relationships are.
In this context we have to consider Love - an intense feeling of deep affection, a positive, reciprocal, symbiotic flow between entities. I can love my child & my dog. I can love more than one person. To love is to care & support. Mutual benefits & aid flow from love. If there is no love or caring then the relationship is not symbiotic. Someone gets the lesser end of the deal. Someone has the upper hand.
Humans also have to live symbiotically with nature. All humans require the benefits of the land, waters and air for survival, making this a commensal symbiosis at best, but often becoming a parasitic symbiosis. Humans cannot exist without the benefits that nature provides. We deplete those resources with our constant demands for more. We are, in effect, doing what the Easter Islanders did creating a barren land that will not support human life.
Looking at our world today I believe that humans are split into 2 distinct camps. The "Haves" & the "Have Not's". It is obvious at the individual & the collective level. There are people who are totally self absorbed & also those who are empathetic & altruistic. There are the mean & the generous. There are the very rich & the very poor. The polarity has become unacceptable.
I believe we are currently fighting a battle between the two. That battle is at the tipping point. I know which side I want to win, but I am beginning to doubt that we have the capacity to get ourselves out of the mess we have created. Our relationship with eachother & the world we live in is disfunctional & unsustainable.
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