Benefits of Tight-Knit Communities

With the ubiquity of social media and the mass polarization of the United States, the word community can feel like a contrived concept. From an early age, we generate a sense of belonging from the cliques and tribes we form among friends, not necessarily the schools we attended or the cities we grew up in. While we may not realize it, we may be a part of many different communities and it greatly enriches our lives for the better.

On one level, community can be an abstract concept referring to groups we form through associations. These can include online communities for gamers, people who love tattoos, or the beliebers of the world. Does this mean that we have evolved past the need for our physical communities?

Of course not! Communities are still important to everyone of us and there are many benefits to living in one. When buying a new home, one of the first questions you ask about is the local schools and community at large. If you’re looking for a new place or even evaluating your own community, we’d like to share with you our thoughts on why tight-knit communities are beneficial and why you should stress community and togetherness in your everyday lives.

Connectivity

Did you know that some studies have linked the health effects of isolation to smoking 15 cigarettes a day? Communities instill a sense of belonging that you truly can’t experience online or through an app, though some party apps can help. Whether it’s through a potluck dinner, a block party with live entertainment, or even taking an RV trip across the country with some friends, community brings people together physically and emotionally.

Connectivity also means connections which could through entrepreneurship, clubs, associations, or even sports teams. These can turn into friendships or partnerships that last of lifetime and bring us much joy.

Security

Community also comes with a sense of security, physically and emotionally. This doesn’t necessarily relate to a gated community, but the idea that somebody is there to have your back when you’re down. It lends itself to the whole “all for one and one for all sentiment.”

A community is a network of people there to help you achieve your dreams, whether it’s through entrepreneurial investments or rebuilding your house after a storm. We don’t realize our sense of community until disaster strikes, but it’s always been there!

Shared Resources

While a community is not necessarily a commune, being able to borrow the neighbor’s lawnmower every now and then is always nice. Shared resources can be financial like everyone chipping in to pay for a park, aggregating utility bills, or even paying for that block party or potluck.

Shared resources could also be through knowledge and skills exchanges. People can come together to produce revolutionary ideas. Think of Bill Gates and Paul Allen who met at Lakeside Private school and would later become co founders of Microsoft.

Inspiration

Speaking of collaboration, communities provide inspiration for striving individuals. People are soundboards where you can bounce ideas off of and usually the best are created through collaboration and brainstorming. This goes two ways and you could end up inspiring other people to do some pretty extraordinary things.

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