As much as it is hard to define belonging, there has been a lot of research done on the subject. In 1995, the Baumeister and Leary landmark paper, “The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation,” showed that humans have a universal need to belong as an ancestral sort of compulsion.
“Most of us satisfy this need by joining groups. When surveyed, 87.3% of Americans reported that they lived with other people, including family members, partners, and roommates (Davis & Smith, 2007). The majority reported regularly doing things in groups, such as attending a sports event together, visiting one another for the evening, sharing a meal together, or going out as a group to see a movie (Putnam, 2000).” – The-psychology-of-groups
“In our advanced digital age, one of the prevalent concerns regarding the increasing emergence of loneliness is how we have become less caring of others. At one time, our very survival depended on trusting and supportive relationships. Fundamentally, it doesn’t matter how technologically sophisticated we become; emotional connectivity remains a core part of being human. We need each other—maybe not in the ways that characterized us evolutionarily, but for a need that remains essential for psychological survival.” – psychologytoday.com
Here Comes Spiritualityyyy
It’s not because I’m “spiritually inclined” or a “witch” (all qualifiers I’ve been given in the past) that I am saying this. It has been shown that spirituality combined with belonging to a group enables a better outlook on life.
“Regularly attending religious services associated with lower risk of deaths of despair, Chan School study says.” “The study authors noted that religious participation may serve as an important antidote to despair and an asset for sustaining a sense of hope and meaning. They also wrote that religion may be associated with strengthened psychosocial resilience by fostering a sense of peace and positive outlook, and promoting social connectedness.” – The Harvard Gazette
Spirituality can include religion or not. That’s not the point.
The point is that with a known primal need for congregation, combined with clear mental health benefits to religious/spiritual participation, not to mention the social impact the pandemic had on everyone, we have to recognize our need to integrate spirituality back into our current groups.
Hence the importance to make it a big part of Web3 as it is being developed and defined.
What Are You Gonna Do ‘Bout It?
It’s right in front of us! We’re not going to stop a whole generation from using screens and living out this new paradigm. That’s also why I’m so adamant on the importance of Spirituality in Web3. Because our search for meaning and place in this world and understanding our identity through a connection greater than ourselves is as much a part of being human as is eating and breathing.
Now. Web3 projects should ask themselves:
How do we add Belonging and Spirituality in our Web3 communities?
How can people feel a part of these communities, a real sense of belonging?
I’ve put together a 2-part list of current Spiritual and Wellness Web3 communities and will continue to search and try out.
Do you belong to some? Which are you favourites? why? Shoot me a DM on Twitter!