I have been rethinking this idea of the privileging of independence since getting interested in Peter Block, John McKnight, Margaret Wheatley and more recently Parker Palmer – I think the idea that any of do anything alone is a pretty false assumption and in the end a disempowering one as it keeps people from seeking the resources they need. There’s also some interesting thinking by Gabor Mate about the whole concept of individuation in children, and how it’s promoted by our culture but not really proven to work – in fact, perhaps the opposite, and Daniel Seigel talking about a new field of interpersonal neurobiology in which our brains work better when we are part of tribes working together. None of which means that we all need to learn everything together, but that perhaps it is time to rethink, as you are doing, some of the assumptions about learning. Thanks for your post – enjoyed this one and the next one too 🙂