We are all interconnected—with each other and with the world around us. I don’t mean this in a spiritual sense (though that may or may not also be true). I mean this in a physical, practical way. The woman sitting across the coffee shop, the children playing in the park, the baby fussing in her stroller—these people are just as much a part of us as the hands I’m using to write this article.

A Mental Model

Let’s start with a mental model that might be helpful to explain the implication here. Let’s begin by looking at something we’re all (hopefully) very familiar with – our own bodies. Simplifying this admittedly very complex system, and zooming into the smallest scale, the our bodies are comprised of individual cells, each one performing some specific function.

Now, let’s imagine we start to zoom out in scale. Looking around, we begin to see these individual cells are actually working together to maintain the various subsystems of our body. As we continue to zoom out, we start to see these subsystems working in conjunction with one another until finally, zooming out in scale even further, we see that these subsystems give way to you, the person reading this post.

Beyond the Body

Now imagine we continue zooming out in scale, beyond the body. If we were to keep on zooming what would we find? We might see your home, followed by your neighborhood. Your city. Your country. All the way out until we see the entire world. And even further until the entire universe is in picture.

So what is the point of this exercise? Well, much like our individual cells make up who we are, you and I similarly make up everything around us. And just like that single cell, couldn’t possibly comprehend the larger being it’s a part of, we too aren’t able to truly comprehend the role we collectively play in the universe.

Connectedness

With that lens, our connectedness becomes clearer. Our cells have two “identities.” One as a tiny protein machine doing its specialized job. The other as a part of the larger being—you. The same can be said of us. Yes, we’re vastly more complex than cells, but we still carry these same two identities: individuals with free will, as well as components of the greater universe.

The implication here is that we are all, in a very real sense, one and the same. I operate to maintain my “subsystem” while you operate to maintain yours. But zooming out, we are both working to maintain the same system. Parts of a greater whole, we are all living one unified life—just from different points of view.

Maintaining the System

There is another implicit implication here. Every decision we make and every action we take, no matter how small, will inevitably impact not only those around us, but also the entire world around us. After all, my influence on the system is bound to impact everyone that is a part of it.

Just like our bodies depend on well-functioning parts, the universe depends on us to function well too. Systems whose parts work against each other tend to break down while systems with parts that work in harmony thrive.

Of course, life isn’t that simple—conflict is inevitable. But when conflict arises, it helps to remember that we’re essentially in conflict with ourselves—and that the outcome affects everyone and everything around us. With that in mind, it makes sense to lean toward compassion and cooperation.

Finding Purpose

Unfortunately, things aren’t as straightforward for us as they are for our cells. We’re not born with a clear role or a manual. We don’t always know what we should be doing. But if a healthy universe depends on healthy functioning parts, then it stands to reason that our job is to find a function—and perform it well.

The good news is, we get to choose what that function is. We have the freedom to decide how we want to contribute, how we want to show up in the world, and how we spend each day. Our only real obligation—if you want to call it that—is to dedicate ourselves to that role, whatever it may be, and do it to the best of our ability.