A state arises, as I conceive, out of the needs of mankind; no one is self-sufficing, but all of us have many wants.

We're too weak to go alone

We often think of government as something imposed on us—rules handed down, taxes collected, freedom constrained. But Plato points to something more fundamental: we actually created states because we're dependent creatures. None of us can grow our own food, build our own shelter, defend ourselves alone, or even make our own clothes well. We're weak individually, so we band together. The state isn't an oppressive invention forced on free people; it's a solution we reached for because isolation doesn't work.

This matters now because it reframes how we think about collective action. When you complain about taxes or regulations, you're not just complaining about government—you're complaining about the price of not being self-sufficient. The real question isn't whether we need coordination; it's whether we're coordinating in ways that actually serve our needs. A state that doesn't meet people's wants—that fails to provide security, opportunity, or fairness—becomes unstable not because it's tyrannical in theory, but because it's failed at its basic job.

The harder insight: recognizing our mutual dependence can cut two ways. It can make us more compassionate about sharing burdens. Or it can make us cynical about what others "deserve." Either way, pretending we're self-sufficient is the real delusion.