Dependence
Dependence is a condition in which one person, response, need, or part of a system is significantly related to and partially dependent on another.
Definition
Dependence may be biological, emotional, social, practical or systemic. Not all dependency is a problem - people naturally need relationships, resources and support. The problem begins when dependence takes away agency, blocks boundaries, perpetuates fear or prevents independent action where it is needed.
Practice and life
Write down what you depend on for a given problem: person, resource, emotion, decision, system. Mark which dependencies are healthy and which are limiting.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to consider every dependency a weakness. It is also a mistake to ignore dependency, which perpetuates helplessness.
> Dependency is not always a weakness; The problem begins where choice disappears.
> — Guru Element