Lonely Society

I believe our society is one of the loneliest in a very long time. Throughout history, humans have always lived in communities. In the beginning, we survived as hunters and gatherers, not by choice but by necessity. We simply could not sustain our high energy demands alone. Even back then, people specialized in different tasks, developed simple rules, and formed hierarchies.

In my opinion, the human species would never have become so successful without social communities and their structures. Unlike lions with their powerful claws and sharp fangs, humans do not possess natural physical weapons. For much of our evolutionary history, we were prey. Long before modern civilization, we constantly had to remain alert to avoid becoming someone else’s meal.

Over millions of years, however, we developed two decisive advantages: our powerful brains and our powerful communities. Without these, we would never have become so successful in the sense of outcompeting other animals (though not overpowering nature itself).

Around 12,000 years ago, humans began to settle down. Once again, this meant living in even larger communities, specializing further, and depending on one another. There is ongoing debate about whether this shift was truly a “good decision”. It was certainly difficult. Humans had to learn how to cultivate crops and sustain themselves as sedentary populations. Living in close proximity also meant dealing with more disease and greater hygiene challenges. A single bad harvest could lead to famine and population decline. And because settlements had grown large, returning to a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle was no longer feasible — cause that lifestyle only works in small groups.

However, I do not believe it was simply a matter of “no going back.” I think agriculture and settlement were ultimately more successful strategies than hunting and gathering. Interestingly, humans began settling in different parts of the world at roughly the same time. Hunting and gathering likely reached its limits in terms of supporting expanding populations and avaiable resources. As history shows, agriculture proved to be an evolutionarily successful strategy. None of this, however, would have worked without communities and the sharing of goods.

Since the rise of settlements, the human population has grown exponentially. At the same time, specialization increased dramatically. As societies became more complex, simple bartering systems were no longer efficient, and money emerged as a more practical solution for trade. (Maybe future add: history of money.)

With increasing complexity and specialization, we eventually entered the eras of industrialization and digitalization. Industrialization allowed people to travel more efficiently and reach places that were once unimaginable. In the past, travel was extremely demanding and reserved mostly for the wealthy, who had the resources and time to journey long distances by horse. Today, airplanes allow us to visit distant cultures relatively easily and affordably.

Digitalization has had an even more profound impact. We are now constantly exposed to global news, ideas, and cultures that previous generations would never have encountered. Information flows endlessly, shaping how we see the world.

All of this has inevitably led to a world that is more complex than ever before. It is a double-edged sword. On one hand, we have more communities than ever. There are countless sports, artistic paths, musical genres, academic disciplines, hobbies, and subcultures to explore. In every direction, there are communities and micro-cultures waiting to be explored. This diversity is extraordinary — but it can also be overwhelming.

We are no longer simply embedded in a single village community where survival depends on mutual support. Instead, we navigate a highly complex world of overlapping communities. While community remains crucial for our mental health and overall well-being, it is no longer strictly necessary for physical survival. We have reached a stage in society where individuals can, at least materially, live alone and sustain themselves independently. Yet this independence does not eliminate our fundamental social nature - it only changes the role that community plays in our lives.

Finding one’s place within this complexity can be challenging and frustrating. At the same time, there are more distractions than ever before — many of them functioning almost like small doses of dopamine. Watching a short video, for example, can provide a brief chemical reward, encouraging constant consumption.

Yet humans evolved as social creatures. We need community for our health and well-being. The difference today is that we must consciously choose our communities. And choosing the right one can profoundly improve our lives.