Core Beliefs – Building Institutions

In early agrarian society, community was built on kinship, survival, and oral tradition. It rarely extended beyond a few hundred people.

Religion changed that. It shifted community from survival to belief. A shared moral order and divinity that could scale across geographies.

Then came royalty. Kings and queens recast community through loyalty, protection, and obligation. This laid the groundwork for citizenship and nationalism.

Today, community is evolving once again. It is no longer tied to bloodlines, geography, or gods. Success is measured by irrational loyalty, chosen identity, and a shared sense of curiosity or care.

You no longer need to share beliefs. You just need to share likeness.

I have been fascinated lately by those who build community, because they take many forms. Some serve hot chocolate in the bowels of SF hackertopia. Others host rooftop mixers in Manhattan. Most rely on media to manufacture momentum and attention.

Not all communities are equal. It is easy to unite around religion, school, or status. It is hard to connect people with no clear bond. Only whispers, references, and a gut feeling that they belong.

You can aspire to master the art of community. But community is organic. It thrives when nurtured. It fades when left untended.

Most communities do not last. But some do.

When they do, they become institutions.

And we are here to build institutions.