Relating: How Communities have Changed in the Modern World
This path course provided valuable insights, teaching us the various qualities and skills needed for personal growth and effective leadership. One dimension I found the most compelling was the dimension of relating- caring for others and the world. Before reading this, I’ve already recognized the importance of strong emotional bonds and social connections. Particularly, with people in our community. Without this, the quality of life for each individual and the community as a whole will be diminished. But this course also reminded me that the actions we take today shape the foundation for the future generations to come. If we live in a world so isolated from one another, in the future, that gap will be even wider.
This reminded me of something I saw on social media. It was a long time ago and I can’t remember the full context but I remember one mom asking if “things have always been like this?” regarding stories of children who were put in danger and had no one to help them. An older woman responded to her question “No. Back then we took care of each other”. This relates to the relating dimension. Back then, it seems that there was a greater sense of community between neighbors. Families would get together for dinner, children would go hang out in the park together, block parties and community picnics, etc. Neighbors would check on other neighbors and ask for favors or perform some acts of kindness because they’ve built that relationship where people felt safe and supported.
I think this is what is missing in our world today. We lost the skill of connectedness. We are so focused on our own lives that we fail to see the bigger picture: our relationships with others, with humanity, and with the global ecosystem. This disconnect has also impacted our capacity for empathy, making it challenging to understand and extend kindness to others. When we fail to relate to one another, we lose our ability to foster compassion and understanding. This can be dangerous. It’s what can lead to inequalities, social injustice, environmental problems, etc.
What do you guys think? Do you agree that our neighbors and communities are less connected than in the past? Is this something you see in your own neighborhood or communities? What are some tips on fostering connections and empathy that you can used to address these issues?
@reginalistener18
You bring up a lot of interesting points here that I've never even considered, but I absolutely agree. I think that our unfettered access to people over the internet (which is an interface that also reduces our capacity for empathy, by removing faces and voices from the equation) overloads our brains and leads us to select people that are easier to get along with instead of trying to build connections to the people we already have. I'm not sure how to address the issues at a cultural level, but I hope communities can continue to hold more in-person events that appeal to others in the community, and prioritize community centers (like public libraries) to spur more relationships between local members of a community.