Human beings are social creatures.
Regardless of our level of need for active interactions with other people and how we draw our energy from these interactions (some might refer to this as being an introvert versus extrovert, or wherever we might land on that particular spectrum), we are genetically designed to be social, to live in groups, and to have those regular connections with others of our species. We look to these connections for reinforcement, for reassurements, for support, for care, and for a myriad of other vital inputs.
We need other people.
Do you know about lightening bugs? They are a beetle that can be seen in various countries that use bioluminescence as a tool to get a mate. (Tiny lesson: male lightening bugs light up their lower abdomen as a method to attract a mate. Personally, I think this party trick could 100% be adopted by other species, because this is so much better than most other mating rituals.) Recently, I learned about an amazing phenomena of lightening bugs synchronizing their belly lights. This happens for a number of reasons, not all of which are as cool as this: they want the females of their same species to know which light is theirs, which light belongs to the same species, and therefore which light they should be drawn to. In any given area, there are likely to be a number of different species of fireflies; how is a girl to know which one is the best option for her? Well, when these particular species light their lower half up, their fellow male buddies (of the same species), looking right and left, mimic the timing, very quickly resulting in a lightshow blinking on and off at the same time. “Hey girl, here we are. Check us out. May the best man win.”
I’m not talking about this for dating purposes (though, again, I repeat: this would be an A-MAZING party trick), but rather about that unity, that collection of a message into one. This building of a single message, convergence of intent is truly powerful. As a united message, that blinking is so much more powerful than one little beetle, flashing its lone light.
Look for ways that you can amplify your message, and work with the support of others to be bigger than the sum of the parts. Don’t be one little bug, but rather, carry the power of many.
Comments