Fitting Individuals into the Fabric of a Community

     Last Wednesday's conversation steered me toward the idea of a community from an individual's perspective. I cannot think about a community without considering each person's role - and after living in Lincoln Manor for three weeks, my mind obviously turns to the roles each of us plays in the house.

     We are introverts and extroverts, but are we one or the other? A friend showed me a fascinating YouTube video about the power of introverts. The video explores how our culture exults extroverts above others in the population, highlighting their effusive, winning personalities as the key to success and likability. But what if we are wrong?

     Why do we always think of introverts and extroverts in this manner:

Our definition of introverts and extroverts.

     Our immediate assumption about extroverts is that they enjoy talking over listening, social environments over quiet solitude, and copious amounts of activity to moments of silence. Yet more and more, I have come to realize the error in this thinking, and modern science supports this shift in thinking.


     Introverts are merely individuals that recharge from time alone; extroverts, in contrast, recharge through interaction with others. This distinction often has little to do with their perceived amount of energy in a group.




     So where does that leave us with community? The answer is simple, really. It leaves us with a diverse group of individuals on a continuum rather than a spectrum. Watching someone interact in a social setting is not enough to determine how and where they choose to direct their energy. It seems that, through living in community in Lincoln Manor, we have all become more aware of the nuances in our housemates' behavior.

     As an introvert, I tend to see the big picture in terms of smaller pieces. When I look at people, I tend to see not only the sides they present, but the sides they withhold. This seems an apt characteristic to translate into viewing a community as a whole composed of many parts. While many people make up the whole, these people must understand each other in order to work together properly.

     My interim experience in South Africa cemented this idea of individuals and community in my mind. Home to eleven official languages, South Africans have a term called ubuntu which, like so many precious words in other languages, is not easily translated into English. The closest approximation we have is this: "I am because we are." In other words, the community pours its resources into the individual in order for the individual to grow into the best person they can be, so that they can then give back to the community again. It forms a positive feedback cycle, one I believe can only be replicated if we understand the nuances of each person's behavior.

     The first step towards this holistic view of a community is rejecting the binaries that define the spectrum of introverts and extroverts. I know I would rather see myself on a continuum, and this makes it easier to relate and work with others.

     That's all the "wisdom" I have for now - feel free to go recharge in whatever way suits you most!