Interconnectedness - Inspiration from the trees

Ritesh Bawri

03 Oct 2024 — 2 min read

The concept of interconnectedness suggests that we are not individuals, but a connected species.

However, were you aware that interconnectedness extends beyond humans alone?

Human beings form tribes, societies, countries. We connect over sports, our favourite football team, perhaps. Religion, obviously, is a great unifier.

Speaking brings joy through invitations to unknown places. The past week found me in the hills, next to a reserved forest at 11,000 feet.

Trekking in the woods, I found myself in the middle of the deodar trees. According to the guide, trees over three hundred years old inhabited the forests.

Some trees became infected. When they did, the other trees, all interconnected through the roots, released chemicals.

You could smell the chemicals, the job of which was to help the infected tree heal and eliminate the infection.

We think of trees as less intelligent. But think of the powerful instinct of survival. Think of the capacity of one tree to know that another is infected. Then evolve to be able to secrete the antidote, all the while connected to each other.

Talk about a loving, caring relationship.

That nature lives in harmony is something we have known for a while. It’s not just our planet, even the Universe lives in a stable harmony, at least for now.

So what is it about human beings that makes us want to break this bond? Not just seek the care and love of our fellow humans, but also break our bonds to seek more.

What is it about human beings that makes our individual needs override our collective?

Human beings come with ambition and drive. It fuels innovation and achievements. At one time, these innovations meant survival.

But today, it has largely become and status, power and wealth.

There is a duality driving our thoughts and behavior. We need to cooperate or chaos will ensue. Yet, we skirt the edges of cooperation in the desire to get ahead of the other.

Is it time we seek inspiration from the deodar trees?

Reach out to me on twitter @rbawri Instagram @riteshbawriofficial and YouTube at www.youtube.com/breatheagain

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