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When I speak of reciprocation I am referencing the linkage of processes by which the flows of life occur. Like blood flow in the arteries, veins of capillaries; reciprocation is the flow that supports life itself. Blood cells are couriers carrying sustenance, and information, between the various functions of a body. Reciprocation operates closer to the concept of cause and effect than to Sir Issac Newton's laws of equal and opposite reaction. For every act the must be a reciprocating act or life at some level begins to slide out of balance, whether that be at the organism or the system level. However, unlike Sir Issac Newton's law, reciprocation does not operate in the dynamics of "equal" and "opposite." The system of reciprocation is tolerant of imbalance at the event level. Reciprocation maintains balance through aggregation of micro-events into a larger impact at the system level.

Lack of reciprocation in the form of consuming junk food is an act of eating that lacks in reciprocal provisioning of nutrition. This negatively impacts the singular organism of the cell depending on the nutrition. Organism will receive varying levels of nutrients in this scenario. One incident is probably tolerable by the organism, systemic failure to provide nutrients on a consistent basis over time however will impair, or even kill the organism. Over time depriving enough singular cellular organism of nutrients through consistently non-reciprocating act of eating junk food will deprive enough organisms to reciprocatively have a negative impact on the entirety of the functioning system we call "the body." This body system is a singular organism in a larger system we call "society." If enough body organisms become functionally impaired due to lack of nutritional reciprocation the societal system becomes impaired through the degraded performance of it's body organisms becoming an inefficiency in the system function, just as the cells of the body became inefficiencies of the body. This is one example of the impact to be suffered through the lack of reciprocation. The permutations of impact are infinite limited only to the number of actions that take place in all of life.

Below are 7 major levels of reciprocation I present to put structure around the concept for how reciprocation is necessary as a component at all levels of human life. Reciprocation is essential from the most fundamental aspect of life common to all living things up through to those of the effective function of societies unique to the human experience.

The 7 Reciprocations

Nature
Food for Fertilizer
Nature provides us food and in return we provide fertilizer. Failure to reciprocate results in death.

Self
Moment for Care
If we care for our self completely; mind, body and spirit, we experience the moment fully. Failure to reciprocate is a path to disconnection.

Species
Immortality for Reproduction
If we reproduce some essence of ourselves continues in the eternal life cycle. Failure to reciprocate is a path to the truest form of mortality.

Race
Heritage for Attentiveness
By being attentive to our bloodline we receive a sense of heritage connection beyond the moment into the deep past. Failure to reciprocate is a path to superficiality.

Relationship
Respect for Trust
To enter into a relationship of mutual trust is to earn respect. Failure to reciprocate is a path to disgrace.

Community
Belonging for Tolerance
Tolerance of others in one's community leads to a sense of belonging. Failure to reciprocate is a path to ostracization.

Society
Resources for Work
Contributing to one's society leads to resources. Failure to reciprocate is a path to stigmatization.

While it is an absolute that to take without reciprocation is going to result in some form of failure - the reciprocation is not a 1 to 1 balance. Nor is reciprocation transactional as one might initially think. It is relational. The balance sheet of the universe is much larger and more complex; manifesting over massive scales of time. Reciprocation is no more easily comprehended intellectually than can be infinity itself. Small heartfelt deeds can have immense long term effects and are about more than social impact. The true power of reciprocity is its impact on the self. The concepts of this post are not intended to be a user guide to lives absolutely of reciprocity cause and effect. That would be impossible to capture every permutation of reciprocity action and outcome. The core message of this post is simply this, all of us live in reciprocity and are enmeshed in the energies of life that flow through us like a mill-house wheel powering the machine of sentient life. The abstract I present here with a few clear examples is that the more removed from the reciprocal flow is a life; the less efficient, the less empowered, the less connected the life will feel.

Journey on ...