Join to Nurture Your Human Need to Belong
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Starting at about 4th grade, children begin to see differences. That is when racism begins because prior to that age children do not see color. They simply see if you are fun to play hide & seek and tag with. Of course much more goes into racism but I will not go into that now as that is not what this article is about.
So beginning around age 9 we grow increasingly more aware of our differences. And because of “herd mentality” we try to hide these differences from our peers in an effort to conform. We are compelled to dress like them, eat what they eat, listen to the same music, and even decorate our living areas in a similar manner. Sometimes later in life, some of us embrace our differences and dress and act as we feel accurately represents what we feel on the inside.
But we still flock to people who are like us.
We humans have a self-narrative about who we think we are. As individuals, we form our identity by combining our life experiences into an ever evolving story of our self. This story we tell ourselves about our self regarding how the world works, who we are, and how we belong or don’t belong provides us with a sense of purpose for our life.
We all have an innate desire to be a part of something. To participate in meaningful social interactions where we feel we are needed and are contributing.
When we find people who are different in the same ways as us, we join together.
We join communities to become more of ourselves, to be able to subsist and thrive where we do not have self edit as much in order to fit in.
This is why new religions and cults work - the human desire to belong.
A community must have a clear set of beliefs about what it stands for, basically a view of how things should be, that is in line with our personal beliefs.
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When considering a community we look for two things- are they like you and will they accept you. The answers determine if we join and become a part of said community. Successful communities are clear about what they stand for and welcome and provide support to potential members. By welcoming and supporting potential members, relationships are formed and these relationships are what keeps people in the community. This is the important part, because, well lets be honest- life happens. Life gets busy and the community would be the first thing one gives up.
But the relationships- the bonds we form with people in the community- are what keeps it thriving. We go to the community because of the social interactions with the friends we have made there. We “belong”. We nurture this because of the drive to belong.
Steemit is a perfect example of a community. We come here because as @Papa-Pepper puts so well- why post for free? We see that we can make money just for posting here. So we sign up. Then we meet people and interact with the community and form bonds. And even though we make very little in the beginning as we need to grow to earn, we keep coming because of the social bonds we make.
The need to belong is as necessary as food and air. We are social creatures, and as such must have social interactions. Preferably in person which is why we online Steemitzens have meetups and conferences. Everything at the meetup could very well be accomplished online, but we desire in-person social interaction. We don’t just desire, we need in person contact.
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The loneliness epidemic grows more alarming as the age of (dis-) connectivity rises. From the outside technology appears to be bringing us together, but in all reality it is (physically) pushing us apart. Sure we can talk with people from anywhere in the world at any time, but we are doing this solo; holed up in our own apartments physically alone.
Join a community for your health. Join a community you believe in for your happiness.
Join a community where you can be you and find meaning and use.
And embrace your community members. They are different like you ;)
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Help Bless @ArbitraryKitten with @Papa-Pepper CryptoJeep Challenge!
My real life horror- the accident and PTSD
- Part 1-My Near Death Experience
- Part 2- the Accident Aftermath
- Part 3- Subtract the D from PTSD but Your Brain is Still Scrambled
- Part 4-How to Heal Mind and Body After an Accident & Helpful Advice for Your Loved Ones
- Part 4.5 What to Expect With Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injury
- Part 5- The Tunnel. A Real Life Horror
- Part 6- The Journey
- Part 7-My Healing & @Papa-Pepper CryptoJeep Challenge
Trigger warning- graphic and raw.
Image via Creative Commons
What if the last person on Earth was the person you hated most? Experience Dead i. A Steemit Original Fiction Series.
Thank you for your support, I love you guys ♡
With Love, Positivity and Good Mojo Light,
May Your Days Be Always Happy and Bright!
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Pill. A 5 Minute Fiction Freewrite
If you found this post after day 7 please consider upvoting a recent article ♡
Yes, Steemit is surely wonderful and groundbreaking in itself, helping so many people to be and do what they love and express themselves freely, but I realize that it is not the definite solution against world unequality.
Which is why I love Manna, which you probably know about. It is a new emerging cryptocurrency which aims at creating a UBI(= Universal Basic Income) by freely distributing Manna on a weekly basis. The only condition in order to receive Manna is to sign up. The weekly distribution currently is ~11 Manna, yet as the price value increases the amount of weekly Manna distribution will probably sink. Mannabase's whitepater also talks of each Human's natural right to receive money very much like one's right to breath.
There are currently about 77,000 accounts, and the distribution started on March 1, 2018. Being an early bird is definitely imperative. If you like I'll send you a link!
"The loneliness epidemic grows more alarming as the age of (dis-) connectivity rises. From the outside technology appears to be bringing us together, but in all reality it is (physically) pushing us apart. "
I couldn't agree more. Thunbs up!
Oh yes, please send me the link :)
I've heard of it, I've just yet to research.
😃 it's here:
https://www.mannabase.com/?ref=9af62b8ba1
I strongly believe in it, and down the road Manna definitely has the potential for becoming a core crypto currency.
Sweet! I love what it stands for. And just signed up!
Thanks!
It's fascinating how many different ways we "divide" ourselves-- and the many qualifiers we use to determine our association; from national origins to what kind of pets we have. And there are SO many things that are important to different people.
I tend to like people who like cats — which is a very arbitrary qualifier, and yet there seems to me "something" (my totally subjectibve interpretation) about the sort of person whose personality is drawn to the nature and temperament of cats. Doesn't mean I shut myself off to other people, mind you.
I completely understand. I tend to be open to people who have been through a lot, we seem to have a certain understanding but I still get along with others.
Cool post...there is no place like Home, there is no place like steemit....Steemit is home to me.
Just like papa-pepper said actuall, why should we post for free when we can get rewarded for posting. Sometimes I just pitty people on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. All I want to do is get the word out there and make them all know what they are missing.
This is really a community to associate with. A community to belong to, a community of people with like minds.
The World needs to know about this...
You are so right- I wish the world were more comfortable with cryptos so they would embrace Steemit now!
You are so right. I've joined steemit in july. Unlike other social media sites I've enjoyed meeting people in this community. Its pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and really interact with people here and on the discord channel. We humans put so many limitations to separate from the herd but still end up gravitating back to stay connected. I loved your post thank you.
So glad to hear that you've blossomed with the community!
This is very true ms. @arbitrarykitten No man is an Island everyone needs to be belong , this is very common at school especially high school sometimes because of perr pressure, your doing things which are not your comfort zone..
This community that we have is far more different because being a new steemitizen I'm glad that there are people like you here who's ver welcoming and giving us the feeling that we belong... thank you maam 😘😘😘
High school is a strange place. And very damaging to the psyche for many...
I love it here, and I literally want everyone who joins to get as much from the community and platform as I do, so i will help and do anything i can :)
Thank you ms. @arbitrarykitten 😘😘😘
I agree with you that we shoud join more and more communities to learn something bogger in our life..nice thoughts
Do something bigger with our lives- well said!!
Thanks!
I love this line as we are constantly changing who we are based on our environment, friends, families and even enemies.
Steemit is a microcosm of society and as such we are social beings craving to belong to something bigger than ourselves.
This why we create familys, groups, regions, nations and lastly human connections.
We are amazing creatures, aren't we?!
Indeed humans are amazing especially when they band together for a good cause.
I made a suggestion to a New Steemian tonight that they read your post from 8 months ago on how to do an introduce yourself post..................
Who? I would love to welcome them!
@emran1017
They said they were new to STEEMIT........
Thank You Kitten.....
I do think we are social creatures. Some more than others.
I think I can go either way with people. I can choose to be around a lot of people or just be alone. And either way I have a blast. Or will find a way to have a blast.
Of course being married and having a Family, well Iam around people all day everyday. Which is just fine with me :)
Thanks for the post @arbitrarykitten
Yes, some more than others. But even family applies as toy belong to them and them to you ❤
Just now hearing about your acccident i can spare a little!! Not much but a little..
Oh thank you hun <3