When you realize that cognition acts at all levels of life, then you realize that all living systems are engaged in cognitive activity. The way they interact with their environment is a cognitive process. And since there are always living systems within other living systems, there are these levels of cognition.
One of the key challenges of our time is creating a sustainable future for our children and future generations, and the unit of sustainability is the community. We know that in ecosystems: ecosystems are sustainable communities of plants, animals, and microorganisms—ecological communities. And also, in the human realm, what is sustainable is not an individual (or an individual organization or business or whatever), but is a community. And so the way nature sustains life is to build and nurture communities. That’s a very profound lesson we need to learn.