Hi everyone,
Let’s talk about the sense of belonging today.
We naturally want to belong to a place or person. We want to be part of a community. We therefore value family and we tend to prioritize them. Family partially gives us our personality. Then, we also belong to a group of friends and colleagues, a class, a neighborhood, a religious group etc., which gives us the opportunity to work on that personality. We belong to a region and a country, which gives us our nationality. Then, we belong to the humankind, which unites all humans. Then, we belong the earth, which unites all beings on earth.
Belongingness gives us everything we have and unites us with other things around us. No wonder it is such an important concept on human well-being.
But then, belonging too much to people or things is notoriously bad for our human well-being. Namely, belonging to the level of extreme attachment. Times when we can’t make our decisions where we should and expect others to help us out. Times when we don’t do our duties and expect others to do them. Times when the sense of belongingness prevents us from improving as a person.
That comes when we forget our individuality. We all are intersections of different groups. No two people have the exact same family, friends, colleagues etc. Therefore, none of us is the same and so we need to find where our differentiation lies.
There is also a problem with the other end. We are not more isolated than ever, leaving our sense of belongingness unsatisfied after all. This is a huge problem for humanity as well.
As with everything, middle ground seems to be the perfect option. But again as with everything, finding the middle ground is hard.
What do you think about the importance of belongingness in life? Do you try to balance your sense of belonging and your sense of individuality? If so, what methods do you use? Let’s discuss.