Originally Posted by
Walter S
Follow your desires then
But sure, I accept that parasites generally have a bad rap.
The fact remains though that the definition of the word says nothing about the parasite other than it lives at the expense of its host. The definition does NOT say that the host experiences any negative consequence. IMO it is defined that way to fully allow for a relationship in which the host derives benefits from supporting the parasite.
par·a·site
ˈperəˌsīt/Submit
noun
an organism that lives in or on another organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the host's expense.
If you read the wiki article on symbiosis, you can see a barrage of different terms regarding cooperative interactions/relationships between organisms. Though it's been a long time since I heard it discussed, I believe parasitism can be divided into two types: 1) the parasite kills the host in the process of utilizing it and 2) the parasite doesn't kill the host but weakens it or impairs it in some way. It is different than mutualism/symbiosis where both organisms are better off with each other than without.