Expert gurus, tech companies, political saviors, and national nonprofits threaten to capture our generational moment of civic renewal. But we can push back to channel this connection craze for good.
Oh my god, this. The networks of trust and social capital that people have worked for decades to build, now getting strip-mined for profit, is a phenomenon that is pissing me off. As I've said elsewhere: "The people profiting from our disconnection now selling their version of "community" are like the mean girl from high school pivoting to the "hey girl!" DM when she wants to sell you her MLM cosmetics"
Your last observation/recommendation reminded me of The Pocket Guide for Facing Down a Civil War which argues that local web/network of courageous relationships among and between us is needed https://www.johnpaullederach.com/2024/07/pocket-guide/
As ever, smart and sobering. Also really appreciate the vision casting for a civic-oriented Presidential campaign. That would be incredible. Thanks Sam!
Damn man, thanks for putting to words these same thoughts I've had swimming around my head since starting my project. As always, I appreciate and admire your thoughtfulness and eloquence.
Bravo! You're not just preaching to the choir.... I'm someone new to this "field" who has a background working with/for philanthropy and nonprofits, and it's incredibly helpful for me to be aware of and thoughtful about these risks. Thank you!!
Sam, I want to comment here, but this piece deserves so much praise and has so many excellent points, that I can’t do it justice here, really. I’ll start by saying this is sobering, accurate, and essential for folks to grasp. We are ripe for these grifters, as we are in the drastic swing away from each other, and that looming saviour is perched and ready to pounce and in doing so, completely knock down our already toppling civic institutions and will to get involved. You are bang on.
I met you, Sam last night at a Tom Tom Talk on Courage: the Act of Gathering your Neighbors. Dawn here 👋
I am fixed on this and in my work I have been interacting and building community and agreements and creating networks of humans. This work is … imperative. I heartily back this idea and I have experienced your research into this and know it to be real.
I’m a solution oriented leader and so I just… try things. Like flinging spaghetti to the wall to see if it sticks. 😂
Thank you 🙏 for offering this talk to our community and sparking a conversation. And an action step ☺️
This is a very insightful piece, I really enjoyed reading it. And here I thought that the connection and community fever is just my personal echo chamber...
Loved this exploration. It's making me think about how all of these grifts, ultimately, prey on our needs for action, connection, and meaning in times when all of those things feel even less accessible. It's like grifters have lost their drive for the common good and replaced it with an almost parasitic tendency to leach off of others for, what, a profit?
A recent “connection” made me realize how often people are entered into dynamics they never agreed to. This essay unpacks that line, and why it feels violating rather than merely salesy.
Sad to think nobody out there has any good intentions.....are they really ALL only in it for the money, power, etc??? Some very good points, but maybe a bit too broad on the brush choice?
Oh my god, this. The networks of trust and social capital that people have worked for decades to build, now getting strip-mined for profit, is a phenomenon that is pissing me off. As I've said elsewhere: "The people profiting from our disconnection now selling their version of "community" are like the mean girl from high school pivoting to the "hey girl!" DM when she wants to sell you her MLM cosmetics"
Your last observation/recommendation reminded me of The Pocket Guide for Facing Down a Civil War which argues that local web/network of courageous relationships among and between us is needed https://www.johnpaullederach.com/2024/07/pocket-guide/
I just finished this book! Yes! The Moral Imagination is on my list next - unless you recommend something else from him?
As ever, smart and sobering. Also really appreciate the vision casting for a civic-oriented Presidential campaign. That would be incredible. Thanks Sam!
Damn man, thanks for putting to words these same thoughts I've had swimming around my head since starting my project. As always, I appreciate and admire your thoughtfulness and eloquence.
Bravo! You're not just preaching to the choir.... I'm someone new to this "field" who has a background working with/for philanthropy and nonprofits, and it's incredibly helpful for me to be aware of and thoughtful about these risks. Thank you!!
Sam, I want to comment here, but this piece deserves so much praise and has so many excellent points, that I can’t do it justice here, really. I’ll start by saying this is sobering, accurate, and essential for folks to grasp. We are ripe for these grifters, as we are in the drastic swing away from each other, and that looming saviour is perched and ready to pounce and in doing so, completely knock down our already toppling civic institutions and will to get involved. You are bang on.
I met you, Sam last night at a Tom Tom Talk on Courage: the Act of Gathering your Neighbors. Dawn here 👋
I am fixed on this and in my work I have been interacting and building community and agreements and creating networks of humans. This work is … imperative. I heartily back this idea and I have experienced your research into this and know it to be real.
I’m a solution oriented leader and so I just… try things. Like flinging spaghetti to the wall to see if it sticks. 😂
Thank you 🙏 for offering this talk to our community and sparking a conversation. And an action step ☺️
This is a fantastic piece, Sam. Thanks for writing it.
This is a very insightful piece, I really enjoyed reading it. And here I thought that the connection and community fever is just my personal echo chamber...
But the presidential campaign vision seems fun!
Loved this exploration. It's making me think about how all of these grifts, ultimately, prey on our needs for action, connection, and meaning in times when all of those things feel even less accessible. It's like grifters have lost their drive for the common good and replaced it with an almost parasitic tendency to leach off of others for, what, a profit?
Also noticing AI creeping in "with solutions" under the guise of "AI for social good".
WHEW! Appreciate this and appreciate you!
Oh this looks like its gonna be a good one! Looking forward to reading it! Thanks Sam for taking the time to share!
A recent “connection” made me realize how often people are entered into dynamics they never agreed to. This essay unpacks that line, and why it feels violating rather than merely salesy.
https://open.substack.com/pub/savorsociety/p/when-connection-becomes-coercion?r=6dbby9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Sad to think nobody out there has any good intentions.....are they really ALL only in it for the money, power, etc??? Some very good points, but maybe a bit too broad on the brush choice?