However self-sufficient we may fancy ourselves, we exist only in relation -- to our friend, family, and life partners; to those we teach and mentor; to our co-workers, neighbors, strangers; and even to forces we cannot fully conceive of, let alone define. In many ways, we are our relationships.
Derrick A. Bell, Ethical Ambition: Living a Life of Meaning and Worth
relationships, self, self-sufficency