Somehow all those practical suggestions from your blog for community don't seem enough (I like the others, for companionship, outdoors, exercise, challenge and health). Maybe they could work for a few people. Religion can be a powerful community glue, but we probably need a new one that is more relevant to modern life, and consistent with science. It's hard for many moderns to pretend to believe ridiculous stuff just so they can have a community.
Volunteering also seems lame to me, because it is not offering people a wholesome alternative. It might help some poor people become more middle class, but the middle class is part of the problem. It might feed hungry people, but people need more than just food. It might clean up some trash, but that's like putting lipstick on the pig of Climate Change and industrial pollution. And spending energy on these superficial things means there is less energy to spend on more impactful things. But yeah, it might also create some community among the volunteers, sure.
Mentoring would be great if the youngsters could be mentored into a meaningful world, with villages or tribes, and intact healthy families. But just mentoring them to continue the disaster we have wrought is not satisfying.
Clubs: yeah, I tried getting the local recreation department of my town interested in me teaching international folk-dancing, but they weren't interested. Probably no takers for alternative tech, or evolutionary psychology or physics clubs in this conservative town either. I tried getting my 2 liberal friends interested in deer hunting, but they weren't. The third was interested, but 2 people is not a club.
Intergenerational: the younger generation is so lost in their social media, and care about how they look and the approval of their peers more than anything else. Their world is so small and parochial, despite the globality of the internet. They are not interested in anything I can offer them.
I think the answer is intentional communities. But ones that value families, that have a healthy balance of liberal and conservative values, that value local production and consumption of goods and services, and that are part of an economic federation of ICs.
Yes-obviously my broad and well-known suggestions aren't going to have a major impact but DO think they're useful for gauging our progress, individually and collectively. I see a much bigger emphasis on getting away from screens and rebuilding communities, for example. People aren't really TRYING to heal our society. They're just trying to improve their lives. Knowing the overall framework will show us who's working in common cause and what they're working against. It seems a lot clearer than it did a few years ago (in my opinion) so I sense a trendline: lives lived increasingly away from consumer addictions, much to the disappointment and loss of the corporate structure.
I think that sometimes we approach issues with an ingrained technocratic reflex: identify a problem and find solutions which ameliorate the negative externalities. When it comes to satisfying and purposeful lives that's probably not going to do it. I firmly believe that humans evolved to live FOR the group in some real sense and we can do all of the yoga nidra and CrossFit we want. Nothing is going to fill that gap. I recommend volunteering because I'm in recovery (and not from smart phone use, if you get me) and I have experienced the sense of purpose and contentment that comes from serving others. It's not primarily about making individuals happier and it's not about helping the community-it's about making your life better serve the proper purpose of a life, which is to serve others. Feeling good and mending social ills are just benefits.
There's a kind of 'tipping point' dynamic to changes like this (and 'social justice', and racism, and so many elements of culture). With you and 2 folks off your phone and trying to live in reality it probably feels a little silly, maybe forlorn. In 2 years there might be 20 though. New people might move in and enough locals might begin changing their lives in a certain direction and that can create its own momentum. I always recommend religious service, even if you're an atheist. Go for the anthropological study, if you like. There's a reason families and religious groups are the only elements which remain in force as our society changed.
I think that we'll need to completely overhaul psychology and social science, in order to help people achieve eudaemonia and better tailor our policy choices so that the proper trade offs are being analyzed.
I absolutely agree about intentional communities. The economic part of that will be the most important (and the hardest) to attain but just like with the rest of it: I see people saying what you and I are now. Dozens of folks in different parts of the country with a common aim and focus and a sense of what REFORM looks like. That's how movements start. If we can use technology and capitalism to supplement our lives rather than rule them the benefits will become undeniable-or they won't. But I think they will. I talk about sleep and diet and seeing friends but really we're talking about suffering, and how to fix it.
I don't mean to give you advice here. I'm not capable of that probably. I wrote this and am replying to you as a way to organize my thoughts, and nothing more. Good luck out there
I don't mind religious service that doesn't contradict science. I have a weakness for mysticism (as do many physicists in their old age, we got into physics for the same psychological reasons that people get into mystical religions). Just have't found enough such people around here.
Somehow all those practical suggestions from your blog for community don't seem enough (I like the others, for companionship, outdoors, exercise, challenge and health). Maybe they could work for a few people. Religion can be a powerful community glue, but we probably need a new one that is more relevant to modern life, and consistent with science. It's hard for many moderns to pretend to believe ridiculous stuff just so they can have a community.
Volunteering also seems lame to me, because it is not offering people a wholesome alternative. It might help some poor people become more middle class, but the middle class is part of the problem. It might feed hungry people, but people need more than just food. It might clean up some trash, but that's like putting lipstick on the pig of Climate Change and industrial pollution. And spending energy on these superficial things means there is less energy to spend on more impactful things. But yeah, it might also create some community among the volunteers, sure.
Mentoring would be great if the youngsters could be mentored into a meaningful world, with villages or tribes, and intact healthy families. But just mentoring them to continue the disaster we have wrought is not satisfying.
Clubs: yeah, I tried getting the local recreation department of my town interested in me teaching international folk-dancing, but they weren't interested. Probably no takers for alternative tech, or evolutionary psychology or physics clubs in this conservative town either. I tried getting my 2 liberal friends interested in deer hunting, but they weren't. The third was interested, but 2 people is not a club.
Intergenerational: the younger generation is so lost in their social media, and care about how they look and the approval of their peers more than anything else. Their world is so small and parochial, despite the globality of the internet. They are not interested in anything I can offer them.
I think the answer is intentional communities. But ones that value families, that have a healthy balance of liberal and conservative values, that value local production and consumption of goods and services, and that are part of an economic federation of ICs.
Anyway, thank you for the fulsome reply. It makes me very happy to be able to communicate with you.
Yes-obviously my broad and well-known suggestions aren't going to have a major impact but DO think they're useful for gauging our progress, individually and collectively. I see a much bigger emphasis on getting away from screens and rebuilding communities, for example. People aren't really TRYING to heal our society. They're just trying to improve their lives. Knowing the overall framework will show us who's working in common cause and what they're working against. It seems a lot clearer than it did a few years ago (in my opinion) so I sense a trendline: lives lived increasingly away from consumer addictions, much to the disappointment and loss of the corporate structure.
I think that sometimes we approach issues with an ingrained technocratic reflex: identify a problem and find solutions which ameliorate the negative externalities. When it comes to satisfying and purposeful lives that's probably not going to do it. I firmly believe that humans evolved to live FOR the group in some real sense and we can do all of the yoga nidra and CrossFit we want. Nothing is going to fill that gap. I recommend volunteering because I'm in recovery (and not from smart phone use, if you get me) and I have experienced the sense of purpose and contentment that comes from serving others. It's not primarily about making individuals happier and it's not about helping the community-it's about making your life better serve the proper purpose of a life, which is to serve others. Feeling good and mending social ills are just benefits.
There's a kind of 'tipping point' dynamic to changes like this (and 'social justice', and racism, and so many elements of culture). With you and 2 folks off your phone and trying to live in reality it probably feels a little silly, maybe forlorn. In 2 years there might be 20 though. New people might move in and enough locals might begin changing their lives in a certain direction and that can create its own momentum. I always recommend religious service, even if you're an atheist. Go for the anthropological study, if you like. There's a reason families and religious groups are the only elements which remain in force as our society changed.
I think that we'll need to completely overhaul psychology and social science, in order to help people achieve eudaemonia and better tailor our policy choices so that the proper trade offs are being analyzed.
I absolutely agree about intentional communities. The economic part of that will be the most important (and the hardest) to attain but just like with the rest of it: I see people saying what you and I are now. Dozens of folks in different parts of the country with a common aim and focus and a sense of what REFORM looks like. That's how movements start. If we can use technology and capitalism to supplement our lives rather than rule them the benefits will become undeniable-or they won't. But I think they will. I talk about sleep and diet and seeing friends but really we're talking about suffering, and how to fix it.
I don't mean to give you advice here. I'm not capable of that probably. I wrote this and am replying to you as a way to organize my thoughts, and nothing more. Good luck out there
If you have desire to, please check out https://iuval.substack.com/p/why-the-ic-movement-is-in-a-rut and we can discuss ICs further.
I don't mind religious service that doesn't contradict science. I have a weakness for mysticism (as do many physicists in their old age, we got into physics for the same psychological reasons that people get into mystical religions). Just have't found enough such people around here.