With a few exceptions, atoms don’t like to be alone.

They prefer to join with other atoms.  They can’t help themsleves, they’re just built that way.

If they stick to their own kind, together they make an element.  A useful building block.  When they combine with different atoms, they create a compound, generating properties none of the constituents have on their own.

Almost all the interesting things in our varied world are the result of atoms combining with atoms that are different from themselves, repeating the process until something durable emerges.

Inter-connection with different others is our natural state.

We can’t help ourselves, we’re just built that way.

Atom by atom.