“Only 4% of Americans host other people.”
In the sessions I attended at Aspen Ideas, belonging came up a lot.
Several speakers highlighted the crumbling of “inherited belonging” (think about the town, ethnic group, or faith community your ancestors were born into versus your own origin story). They argued that the need to “create” community intentionally is a recent and unusual proposition.
The loneliness epidemic and the importance of social health and fitness are gaining attention. It’s not hard to find examples of people hosting neighbourhood-level social events or creating apps to meet new friends. (Need inspiration? Follow Priya Parker on Instagram!)
I only raised my hand in one session in Aspen. It was to note the irony of rampant individualism in the community building efforts being described. In the absence of inherited belonging, must we work alone to create collective identity? I really hope not.