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Devin: What is your superpower?
Richard: The superpower is to see the truth that we’re all made in the image of God…underneath all of the apparent polarization.
The world feels increasingly divided, yet Richard Flyer believes we can create a more united, symbiotic culture by shifting our perspective. During today’s episode, Richard explained his compelling vision for a community built on intentional mutual benefit—a concept that resonates deeply with me.
Richard’s new book, Birthing the Symbiotic Age, is the culmination of over two decades of work, blending personal experience, community organizing, and a belief in the interconnectedness of humanity and nature. He challenges the idea that we are separate, saying, “We’re actually all connected…within our families, neighborhoods, local communities, nations, and worldwide.”
This intentional mutual benefit, as Richard describes it, is a culture where every action, thought, and decision considers its impact on others. It’s about making connection a core value, from small personal interactions to global systems. Richard explained, “Symbiotic culture…is a culture in which intentional mutual benefit between human beings and with nature becomes the norm at all scales.”
He draws from practical experience, sharing stories of community transformation. Richard recounted his involvement in initiatives like the Nevada Micro-Enterprise Initiative, which provided low-income entrepreneurs with seed funding, mentorship, and technical assistance. These efforts exemplify his belief that mutual benefit can underpin economic and social systems, creating a “virtuous economy.”
This vision aligns beautifully with the principles of impact crowdfunding, where investors and entrepreneurs unite to create positive change. Richard’s work shows how embedding intentional mutual benefit into our economy has the power to transform not only individual lives but entire communities.
Richard’s book, Birthing the Symbiotic Age, offers a roadmap for rebuilding our culture with love and connection at its heart. As he said, “When we engage the world, we are coming from that deeper connected perspective.”
For those interested in this vision, Richard’s book is available at richardflyer.com. By embracing his ideas, we can take steps toward realizing this symbiotic age together.
tl;dr:
Richard Flyer shares a 20-year journey to create a symbiotic culture of intentional mutual benefit.
He explains how his book, Birthing the Symbiotic Age, challenges the myth of separation in society.
Richard highlights community-building efforts, including crime reduction and micro-financing initiatives.
He describes his superpower: recognizing the intrinsic divinity or goodness in every individual.
Richard provides actionable advice for fostering connection and building a culture of mutual benefit.
How to Develop Recognizing the Divinity in Others As a Superpower
Richard’s superpower is the ability to see the divinity—or intrinsic goodness—in everyone. He explained, “The superpower is to see the truth that we’re all made in the image of God…underneath all of the apparent polarization.” This perspective allows him to bridge divides and unite communities, focusing on the shared humanity that connects us all. Richard emphasized that this principle applies universally, regardless of one’s spiritual or secular beliefs, making it a powerful tool for fostering connection and collaboration.
Richard shared a transformative story of overcoming his personal biases to unite his community. In Reno, Nevada, he recognized his antipathy toward religious organizations was limiting his ability to include them in community-building efforts. To address this, he spent a year visiting various religious and spiritual groups, from Christian churches to Buddhist sanghas. This experience helped him see individuals beyond their labels, fostering greater understanding and collaboration. This shift enabled him to unite diverse groups to address shared challenges.
Tips for Developing the Superpower:
Attend events hosted by organizations or people you may disagree with to foster understanding.
Practice small, intentional acts of kindness, such as holding the door open for others.
Consciously remind yourself of the shared humanity in everyone, even those with opposing views.
Reflect on personal biases and take steps to overcome them for greater connection.
By following Richard’s example and advice, you can make recognizing the divinity in others a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.
Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!
Guest Profile
Richard Flyer (he/him):
Symbiotic Culture - more a framework at this point, not an organization
About Symbiotic Culture: Symbiotic Culture is a civic and cultural framework focused on rebuilding trust, belonging, and cooperation at the local level in a time of social fragmentation. It integrates insights from community development, economics, spirituality and faith traditions, and living systems to help people move beyond polarization toward shared purpose and practical collaboration. Rather than advancing ideology or top-down solutions, Symbiotic Culture emphasizes connecting the good already present in local communities—linking people, initiatives, and institutions so they can work together more effectively through shared values and virtues such as trust, mutual responsibility, and care. The work holds that lasting social renewal is both practical and spiritual, beginning not with systems alone but with people learning how to live, work, and solve problems together in meaningful ways.
Website: richardflyer.com
Biographical Information: Richard Flyer is an author, community-builder, and faith-rooted cultural strategist whose life’s work bridges science, spirituality, and civic renewal. Trained as a biologist, he studied pilot whale and dolphin communication at UC Santa Cruz and San Diego State before earning an M.S. in Biology. His grounding in living systems science later became the foundation for Symbiotic Culture—a framework that integrates spiritual insight with practical tools for regenerative community life.
Richard’s career spans health, education, and grassroots leadership. He pioneered hyperbaric oxygen therapy programs in Nevada hospitals, taught in community colleges and detention facilities, and led nonprofits including the San Diego Food Bank, Neighbors United, and the Nevada Microenterprise Initiative. Internationally, he served with Sri Lanka’s Sarvodaya Shramadana movement, supporting a national network of over 5,000 communities. His work draws inspiration from Jesus and the early church, Gandhi’s village republics, and Václav Benda’s idea of the Parallel Polis.
For Richard, following Jesus is not about dogma, but about daily practice—learning to embody love, reconciliation, hospitality, and neighborliness in a divided world. He sees in Jesus not only the center of his faith, but a bridge across traditions, calling people into deeper connection and shared responsibility.
Today, through Symbiotic Culture, Richard mentors leaders across faith, civic, and cultural spheres. In Birthing the Symbiotic Age, he offers a vision for a Global Commonwealth of 50,000 empowered communities—a parallel society rooted in love, justice, and mutual flourishing. He lives on O‘ahu, Hawaii with his wife Marta, drawing renewal from the islands, time with family, and the simple joy of Connecting the Good wherever he goes.
LinkedIn Profile: linkedin.com/in/richard-flyer-6820727
Personal Twitter Handle: @Richard_Flyer
Personal Facebook Profile: facebook.com/richard.flyer
Instagram Handle: @richard.flyer
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