Human history has been shaped not by conquest alone, but by cooperation—the often overlooked force behind our greatest leaps in complexity, intelligence, and civilization. From symbiotic cells to global trade, from tribal rituals to planetary ethics, humanity’s ascent is the story of expanding interdependence. Yet today, that fragile progress is threatened by zero-sum thinking, disinformation, rising inequality, and fractured moral frameworks. In an age defined by shared risks—climate change, pandemics, AI—we are called to evolve not just our technologies, but our values and behavior. The future demands a new kind of citizen: one who sees every choice as part of a larger web, who acts with empathy and foresight, and who recognizes that in a deeply connected world, the only viable strategy is mutual uplift. Collaborate—or perish.