You know how you can stabilize a plant population around a specific trait? You can stabilize a human community around a specific trait, too.
Communities, including families and friendship groups, can be positive or negative, depending on what binds and connects them. In any group of people, there will be a common thread. It may be a geographical location, or genetics, or a common interest, or something else.
If it’s a common interest, what is it?
If it’s something negative, such as a shared challenge, there is a risk that the community will become an echo chamber that keeps magnifying sorrow, frustration and anger. Every person there will become a worse version of themself.
It’s like stabilizing a landrace around the sharpest, longest thorns.
If it’s something positive, such as a shared virtue or passion for something good, it can become an echo chamber of joy, magnifying it with each person who shares more. Every person there will become a better version of themself.
It’s like stabilizing a landrace around tasty flavor.
Communities magnify whatever they focus on.
There is a time and place for shared sorrow. That time and place should be finite. It needs an end point. Even when it’s something everyone in a community has in common, it should never be the continuing thread that keeps binding them together.
I’ll give an example. A great many of my ancestors were driven out of their homes because of religious persecution. They underwent terrible hardships. They had a lot of extreme pain in common. But that was not the common thread they built their community on. They built it on faith, hope, and love for all people. Which is why it is still a wonderful community today.
I think this community, right here, is stabilizing around excitement to learn, humility, openness to trying new things, and joy. That’s why it is awesome.
Thank you for being here in it. 