When the Buddha taught interdependence over two millennia ago, he did so precisely because he saw that people were clinging to an unexamined assumption that we are all independent and ultimately separate. The Buddha pointed to that deeply held and widespread view as the source of our deepest confusion in life and the gravest problems in society. This shows that the assumption that we are separate and autonomous has a long history and deep roots. It has also had widespread — and harmful — consequences for society and for our personal happiness.
