BLOG
November 23, 2023Have you ever considered the fine art of balancing the desire for alone time with the need to cultivate deep connections with others? The key lies in striking the perfect blend of independence and interdependence.
Delve into the profound importance of both independence and interdependence and how they shape the very fabric of relationships.
Our society places a huge importance on independence. Although it has numerous definitions, we describe it as deciding how to live one’s own life in accordance with one’s individual beliefs and preferences while remaining within one’s natural abilities and means. Thus, independence is the same as freedom of choice, autonomy from outside influence, and self-determination. The opposite of being forced to live one’s life according to how others want one to live it is independence.
In romantic relationships, independence plays a crucial role by helping each individual preserve their own interests, hobbies, and objectives and add distinctive perspectives and experiences to the partnership. This personal development results in a more vibrant and satisfying partnership. As well as, healthy limits within the relationship may be established and maintained with the aid of independence. Each partner may express their needs, wants, and boundaries without feeling overburdened or stifled. Respecting each other’s limits promotes emotional safety and trust, which improves the relationship’s overall quality.
Having a strong sense of independence and self-assurance enhances self-confidence in individuals, empowering them to express their true selves and assert their needs openly and honestly with their partner. Prioritizing independence prevents the development of codependent patterns, ensuring that partners don’t excessively rely on each other for emotional support or decision-making. This fosters a more balanced and equitable partnership, where both individuals maintain a healthy sense of self.
Embracing independence leads to a deeper appreciation for the time spent together as partners. When choosing to be with each other, it becomes a genuine desire rather than an obligation, strengthening the emotional bond between them. Valuing independence allows partners to find fulfillment in various aspects of their lives beyond the relationship. Contentment and satisfaction with their individual pursuits contribute to a positive and joyful atmosphere within the partnership. Moreover, independence helps partners avoid enmeshment, where they lose their individual identities within the relationship. By maintaining separate interests and friendships, they cultivate a healthier sense of self and enable the relationship to thrive without unhealthy co-dependency. The delicate balance between independence and togetherness lays the foundation for a strong, harmonious, and fulfilling partnership.
In any workplace, independence plays a critical role in determining the dynamics, impacting not just team performance but also individual productivity. Employees have a sense of ownership over their duties and obligations when given the freedom to work autonomously. This empowerment encourages a higher propensity to take initiative and make decisions with confidence, which eventually results in more effective problem-solving and a more agile work environment.
A job resource is independence at work, which is a feature of the workplace that protects one’s health and is reliant on social relationships. As a result, it takes place within the context of a relationship. It makes sense to look into autonomy in the leader-follower dyadic connection in order to shed light on its “interdependent nature” as this is, of course, the first and most significant professional relationship. Moreover, independence boosts the organization’s capacity for decision-making while also igniting the flames of innovation and creativity. People are more likely to think outside the box and seek novel concepts when they can experiment with their own answers and methods. Additionally, it fosters a culture of self-control and time management among workers. People are encouraged to manage their time properly, stay focused on their duties, and make priorities when they are not always being watched over, increasing productivity over time.
Ironically, while freedom may seem to encourage individualism, it also fosters teamwork. A culture of trust and respect for one another emerges inside the team as each team member takes personal responsibility for their jobs and initiatives; therefore, employees are more likely to openly exchange ideas, support one another, and combine their abilities to accomplish shared goals in such an environment, which fosters seamless cooperation. A fine balance between independence and assistance must be struck, though. Employees may need to rely on one another and make decisions as a group in order to do some duties, which may need complicated problems to be solved (Dalley, 2022).
Just like the big role independence plays in romantic relationships and work, it also plays a huge role in friendships and family relationships. Similarly, independence allows people to be more self-aware and in control. It can be a challenge to be independent in a family due to parents wanting to smother their child, but giving kids independence over time aids in smart decisions and learning from their own mistakes to eventually lead a better life. Additionally, independence in friendships aids in a healthier connection and gives people the freedom to socialize and be open to new friendships, which is considerably a good thing. Dependent friendships and relationships can be draining and destructing.
On the other hand, interdependence is a mutually beneficial connection between people in which one person’s needs are met by another’s resources and the other way around. In such partnerships, one party depends on the other to satisfy their own needs. This kind of relationship is common in many aspects of life since people are basically dependent on other people in order to develop and exist.
When attempting to create a healthy level of dependency between couples, it is crucial to take our attachment type into account. To achieve emotional closeness in love relationships, healthy dependency is a must. An excessive amount of “togetherness” might cause a pair to lose their own identities. However, if there is insufficient reliance on one another, the individuals risk isolating themselves or their spouse.
Traumatic relationships can be recognized by the way partners relate to one another via shared trauma, such as painful childhood memories. Unhealed attachment trauma frequently manifests itself in a person’s choice of relationships, in a desire to “fix” or be “saved” by them, or in the unconscious repetition of early trauma in the relationship. For instance, someone may have a history of passive-aggressive romantic interactions in which they continue to feel rejected if they were unnoticed or unheard of as a child. In addition, trauma may resurface by selecting partners with traits of an ex or a major caregiver with similar tendencies (Drevitch, 2022).
Vulnerability and trust are essential in an interdependent relationship. Couples should be able to lean on one another, whilst also being independent and prioritizing alone time. Besides interdependence in romantic relationships, there also exists interdependence at work and with friends and family. When colleagues recognize and welcome variety and respect one another’s individual talents and contributions, interdependence in the workplace grows. Constructive communication and conflict resolution are promoted by emotional maturity and high self-esteem. The team optimizes its potential and accomplishes its goals by utilizing each other’s talents. Individual accountability for one’s own personal development and improvement further strengthens the team’s overall talents. A collaborative and encouraging atmosphere is created through effective leadership and colleague trust. Adopting these principles promotes harmony in the workplace, which boosts productivity and increases the organization’s overall performance.
People naturally have a need to create and maintain intimate ties with other people, which is known as an affiliation motive. The intensity of the affiliation or desire to belong motive varies from person to person and can be met in a variety of connections, such as friendships or familial ties. Because people have limited resources like time and energy, relationships are frequently reliant on one another. In other words, investing time and energy in specific relationships.
Come join our workshops and try the InnerCamp Method
References
Buijs, V. L., Jeronimus, B. F., Lodder, G. M., Riediger, M., Luong, G., & Wrzus, C. (2022). Interdependencies between family and friends in daily life: Personality differences and associations with affective well-being across the lifespan. European Journal of Personality, 37(2), 154–170. https://doi.org/10.1177/08902070211072745
Crampton, D. (2018, July 20). Interdependence improves work culture success. Core Values. https://corevalues.com/interdependence/work-culture-needs-interdependence/
Dalley, M. (2022, October 14). The Pros and cons of working independently. The Pros and Cons of Working Independently. https://www.careeraddict.com/working-independently
Drevitch, G. (n.d.). Creating healthy interdependence in your relationship. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/understanding-ptsd/202210/creating-healthy-interdependence-in-your-relationship
Northway, R. (2015). What does independence mean? Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 19(3), 203–204. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744629515593659
