According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, dependence means the state of needing something or someone else for support, help. It is the state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else. It is also reliance on someone or something for support. 

Dependence is a state where someone is heavily reliant on someone or something else.

Obviously, the word ‘independence’ shares something in common with the word ‘dependence’. However, the prefix “in” causes the meaning of the two words to be opposites. Independence (independent) is described as not being influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct, thinking, acting for oneself; not subject to another’s authority or jurisdiction, not relying on another or others for aid or support; refusing to be under obligation to others (Woolf, 2002).

In my quest for alternatives or complementary factors to independence, I considered ‘dependence’ and ‘interdependence’. Dependence had challenges that make people and nations run away from it. Then I further considered ‘interdependence’. That is where my research found an alternative to ‘independence’ but not at the expense of independence and dependence. There is still a level of connectedness which addresses the concept of interdependence. That is what dependence and interdependence truly mean.

In some ways, independence is like freedom. One seeks independence from other people or things because one feels entrapped. Seeking independence, therefore, is like seeking freedom from what seems to be a bondage to someone. But we have heard several times that freedom is not quite free, so how can in- dependence be freedom from bondage? Freedom comes with a price and sacrifice. The price one pays for freedom is the privilege to become self-sufficient, and in the real sense of it, humans are not self-sufficient because we are no designed that way. There is no one who can provide everything that he/she needs for himself or herself. 

Philosophically, more specifically, phenomeno- logically, the realization of oneself is based on the self-consciousness which emanates from the stages of life as one grows up. This aware- ness does not rob one of his/her uniqueness as a person, instead it affirms it. There are stages of growth from birth to self-consciousness. I know that I am a human being because I see other human beings like me.

SAWABONA“SAWABONA” is a common greeting among the tribes of northern Natal in South Africa, and it literally means “I SEE YOU”, which means, “I respect and acknowledge you for who you are.” The response to that greeting is: “SIKBO- NA” which literally means “I AM HERE” as to say, “When you see me you bring me into existence”. When this happens, everyone repeats “Sawabona” which means “I respect you, value you, and you are important to me” and that per- son responds “Shikoba”, which means “so… I am good and exist for you.” This is the essence of humanity, that the consciousness and realization of one’s existence is aligned with the consciousness of like creatures.

From the discourse on the interaction between dependence, independence, and interdependence, we have been able to establish that the dependency approach to living would make life and living to be burdensome; independency approach to be a myth because in the scheme of things there is really no independence for any living being; and that the interdependency approach encompasses both the dependence and independence. This is the synergetic approach to living. The interdependency approach recognizes that while human is independent, the realization of that reality resides in the dependency factor. What that means is while one is independent, he/she is equally de- pendent, not in the sense of being a parasite, but in the sense that the full potential becomes manifested in the dependence on other human beings. It is the interaction between the two that brings out the interdependency of the hu- man existence.

Definition is limiting as it boxes one into a corner with not much room to wiggle. Description, on the other hand, is broad and open-ended, and it is more accommodating. The same thing happens when we try to define human beings. We are led to be so definitive that we end up bastardizing the essence of human existence. It is also very limiting and confining.

A bridge is more than a crossing. It must serve other purposes which could be intangible. Bridges can improve communities in ways other than providing better transport links. If projects are to deliver wider social benefits, the plan and execution will need to take a people-focused approach to planning and design.

Be it in the physical, mental, spiritual, business, and other spheres of life, a bridge represents the following:

Transition and Change – Transitioning from one realm to enter another either in a journey or otherwise. It could also represent developmental growth in a person or a business. It is a change from one position to another. There is a bridge in everything that we do because every movement from here to there involves a bridge, but many of us end up in the state of indecision and that is what gets us in trouble. When we do not really get involved, but we are waiting in the wings, it becomes a very dangerous state because the bridge was never meant to be the destination but a passage. Every transition from one level to the other or another involves a bridge. 

Allegory of the bridge is a timeless metaphor that has relevance, especially when it comes to leadership. Leaders must be seekers of truth and knowledge. Leaders must be aware of the limitations of their own perceptions. Leaders must be patient and persistent in the face of resistance to change. And leaders must be willing to lead by example. (Tutel, Apr 12, 2023). Many leaders do not know what leadership means, and the failure in understanding has led many leaders to become rulers instead of leaders. Rulers rule without having a relationship with the people being led because they are there to fulfil a function. They find leadership to be a function to perform rather than a service to be provided. In leadership, there is a connection with the people being led. We will examine and evaluate what it means to be a leader.

Even though we use bridges to connect, they are not stable.

As a human bridge, one needs to relate to other humans in order for such a person to become a bridge. This is so because it is not possible for a human to be a bridge between a human and non-human. That means that there must be a recognition of all parties involved as humans.

......It is simply that human existence only makes sense in relation to the different stages of existence. An individual stands the better chance to have his/her needs met only in relation to interaction with other humans. It is also that self-actualization is a product of interdependence and interrelationship. This can be explained in the following ways: the Pyramid of Human Existence or the Tree of Human Existence, or the Circle of Human Existence.

In business, there are metaphors that are used as powerful tools to convey some ideas and concepts that are complex. Bridge is a powerful tool that conveys the idea/concept of connection, collaboration, partnership, and so on.

In business, a bridge can be seen as a catalyst for collaboration. The role of a bridge is to bring two people together, two businesses together and create that environment for collaboration to achieve mutual goals. In business, such collaborative efforts could be through a partnership, forming alliances, networking.