“Back in the day, you were stuck with the tribe you were born with. Now, with the Internet, you can build a tribe (!) of people who share your values and beliefs!”
I’ve liked this idea for a long time. I still like this idea. I have partially played out this idea. But it’s in experiencing the potential – and the limits – of building a new “tribe” from scratch that I’ve decided it’s probably not possible.
Yes, you can make great new acquaintances over the internet. You can even move into the same geographical locations with those people. You can get great circles of podcasters, history buffs, lacrosse players, left-wing liberals, or nudists, but you would not have “tribes” of those groups.
A true tribe is emergent, not constructed. Several of the most important characteristics of tribes has several characteristics which can’t simply be constructed:
There are few real tribes left in our world today, and God bless the ones that are holding on to their identities. But for anyone blessed with an extended family or a strong religious/ethnic community (or yes, really dedicated philosophers in common), it is possible to experience some of the closeness and cooperation of the tribe. We shouldn’t stop reaching out to people of different backgrounds who share common values, but we also should not neglect those ties which are carelessly called “accidents of birth.”
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