The Timeless Blueprint for Progress: Symbiosis

I was (virtually) struck by lightning yesterday - by an article here at LinkedIn from Wouter van Noort , journalist at the Dutch quality newspaper NRC (https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/woutervannoort_lynn-margulis-transformeerde-het-evolutiedenken-activity-7229716075351883776-CprJ). He refers to an article by Joe de Frieze about Lynn in De Groene (https://www.groene.nl/artikel/van-antropoceen-naar-symbioceen )

At once, many peaces fell in place for me.

In both nature and society, I firmly believe that cooperation, not competition, is the true driver of progress. While competition plays a role in weeding out less effective paths in evolution—whether biological or cultural—it’s the power of working together that really propels us forward. I’ve shared this perspective many times, whether through my writings or in presentations across Europe, the U.S., and China. Yet, despite its importance, this truth is often overshadowed by an outdated belief in the supremacy of competition, or the belief that competition is required for innovation.

Historically, competition has been viewed as the ultimate force behind progress. The notion that the strongest, fastest, and most aggressive will thrive while others fall behind has shaped our business practices and social policies. This mindset, deeply embedded in neoliberalism, promotes a world where it’s every person for themselves, prioritizing individual gain over collective well-being. However, as our world becomes increasingly complex (#VUCA!), it’s clear that this approach is no longer sufficient - actually IMHO, never really has been valid. We’re facing challenges—like climate change, social inequality, and economic instability—that are too big for any one person, company, or even nation to tackle alone. The old way of thinking isn’t cutting it, and likely is worsening it. We need a different approach, one that has been there as long as there has been life on earth, and that approach is symbiosis.

Symbiosis is indeed far from a new concept; it’s a timeless principle that has always driven evolution and progress. In nature, symbiosis occurs when different species live together in mutually beneficial relationships. Think of plants and pollinators or the bacteria in our guts. These relationships aren’t just about survival—they’re about thriving together, creating new capabilities and resilience that wouldn’t be possible in isolation. This mutualism is, at its core, a form of co-creation.

When we apply the concept of symbiosis to society or business, it becomes a powerful model for innovation and sustainable progress. Instead of competing, companies can collaborate along the entire value chain—even with so-called competitors—to co-create products, services, and solutions that are better for everyone. This collaborative approach allows for pooling resources, sharing knowledge, and leveraging each other’s strengths to achieve far more than any single entity could alone. Important here is that the greater good needs to prevail, not the benefits of the single members, or it will not work. Think about this when next you set up a project with a partner…

However, this shift towards cooperation is making many people, especially in the business world, but also in politics, uneasy. Moving away from a competition-driven model to one based on cooperation and mutual benefit isn’t just about tweaking the existing system; it’s about creating a whole new (business) model that challenges the very foundations of how companies or states operate. It’s a huge change, and it’s understandable that it might be scary. Letting go of the old ways that have brought success (…but for who?) in the past is never easy. But if we want to meet the ever-complex demands of today’s world, this kind of shift is exactly what we need.

As hinted above, this idea of cooperation also stands in stark contrast to the worldview of far-right movements like Wilders’ PVV, Germany’s AfD, or Trump’s politics in the U.S. These groups push for a society built on exclusion, fear, and competition—an “anti-symbiotic society” where people are pitted against each other and the idea of working together for the common good is thrown out the window. Their approach leads to division, stagnation, and social decay because it actively discourages any form of collaboration that could build a more inclusive society.

At the same time, we can’t ignore the role that neoliberalism and extreme capitalism has played and still is playing in dividing and weakening society. Neoliberalism, with its obsession with maximizing individual profit and minimizing government intervention, has created an economy that continues to widen the gap between the rich and everyone else. Instead of fostering a community where everyone can thrive, we’re left with a society where the rich get richer and the middle class and the poor are left behind. This system has bred a culture of cutthroat competition and unchecked individualism, where solidarity and cooperation have taken a back seat to greed and personal ambition.

Ironically, this dynamic of division and inequality seems to be fueling the rise of far-right movements. When people are faced with the uncertainties and inequalities that neoliberalism creates, some turn to these movements that promise to protect them from “the other.” But these movements don’t address the root causes of that insecurity—they just make the divisions worse and deepen the very problems they claim to solve. And this hurts everyone, including those who originally benefitted from neoliberal practices, because a weak society is a poor society.

Lynn Margulis, the scientist who championed the Gaia Theory—a far-reaching concept of symbiosis—showed us that cooperation can lead to the emergence of new species and complex life forms. Her idea that life on Earth is a self-organizing, symbiotic ecosystem directly challenges both the neoliberal worldview and that of far-right movements. Both ignore the power of symbiosis and cooperation, promoting division and competition instead, which ultimately harms both individuals and society as a whole.

Instead of fighting each other, we should focus on how we can work together—with each other, with other forms of life, and with the Earth itself. This isn’t just a biological or ecological point of view; it’s a moral and social conviction. The big challenges of our time require collective action and cooperation, not more division and competition.

On a related note, my aversion to neoliberalism, extreme capitalism, and far-right movements now makes complete sense to me. They are all #antisymbiotic, in normal terms: #antagonistic.

If we truly want to make progress and build a fair, sustainable future, we must embrace the values of cooperation and mutual respect. Symbiosis is what will move us forward, and understanding this is crucial to creating a world where all forms of life have a chance to thrive.

I think this basically sums up many of my former comments, notes and articles!

Note:

Antagonism may (seem to) spur short-term, reactive innovation, but it often leads to weak, unsustainable outcomes due to stress, fragmentation, and a lack of collaboration. In contrast, symbiosis fosters strong, long-term innovation through cooperation, shared goals, and a supportive culture. If we then view this through the lens of antifragility, symbiotic environments enable companies and even societies to become more resilient and adaptable, turning challenges into lasting, impactful progress, while antagonism will likely create fragile, superficial solutions that don't withstand the test of time. As we have seen many of the last decades, and even truly detrimental “innovations”. In chemistry (Teflon - PFAS, anyone?, tetraethyl lead in petrol), finance (credit default swaps…), economy (neoliberalism), medicine (thalidomide, or Softenon), consumer products (CFC’s), and the list goes on.