When the focus shifts to the level of a group, cooperation is a better model, not only for surviving but for thriving. In a recent interview, author Richard Powers comments, “There is symbiosis at every single level of living things, and you cannot compete in a zero-sum game with creatures upon whom your existence depends.” Serviceberries discovered this long ago, and we humans need to catch up. And yet, we continue to operate from the foundation of competition.
