Why we join: the ancient philosophy behind modern communities
Over 2,300 years ago, Aristotle made a claim that still holds up today. In his work “Politics” he said that “man is, by nature, a social animal”. Not social in the sense that we enjoy company. Social in the sense that we cannot fully become who we are without other people – that we have an innate instinct to form communities, families and cities. While the latter two we can see reflected clearly in today’s society, the former, “communities” is somewhat more subjective, and presents itself in many forms across centuries, and also today.
As a result, thinking of community as a product feature, a hack, or a retention strategy underplays it, although it can serve both. Community is a fundamental human need. And if you’re building one, for a brand, your coaching business, a movement, understand that is the starting point.
This piece explores why we join communities in the first place, what that means for the modern world, and why, particularly in an age of AI and social media, a real community matters more than ever.
Man in a social animal: why belonging isn’t optional
Aristotle’s point wasn’t just philosophical, it was biological. We are wired for connection. The need to belong, to be part of something, to feel seen and understood, to be known, to matter to others, all of these are as fundamental as food or shelter.
Abraham Maslow, one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century, placed belonging in the middle of his hierarchy of needs, sitting above basic survival, well below self-actualisation, and alongside friendship, love, intimacy and family. His point? You cannot build a meaningful full life without it.
For most of human history, this need was met through proximity. Your tribe, your village, your parish. Community was the default state. You were born into it and it was a given.
What’s changed in the modern world isn’t the need, that’s still there, as strong as ever. What’s changed is that community is no longer a given for the majority of people living in the modern city. Today, it has to be sought, built, and chosen. Which makes the role of intentional community building far more significant than many people realise.
The evidence for this is striking. Dan Buettner’s research into the world’s Blue Zones, the five regions where people consistently live past 100 (there’s a great Netflix series on this!) identified nine common lifestyle factors shared across all of them. Three of the nine relate directly to community and belonging. “Belong” (being part of a faith-based or social community), “Loved Ones First” (keeping close family ties), and “Right Tribe” (surrounding yourself with people who share your values). In Okinawa, Japan, this takes the form of the moai, lifelong groups of around five friends who commit to supporting each other for life. In Sardinia, it’s multigenerational households and deep village ties that have kept elderly men living longer there than almost anywhere else on earth.
The research suggests that regularly being part of a community, even just attending a faith-based gathering a few times a month, can add years to your life. Not as a side effect. As a direct, measurable outcome. Loneliness, by contrast, is as contagious and as dangerous as smoking. This isn’t pseudo-science, it’s one of the most consistent findings in longevity research.
The people living the longest lives on earth didn’t reach 100 by optimising their diets or joining a gym – although consistent exercise is up there for key contributing factors. They lived in environments, communities, that made belonging the default. For most of us today, that environment no longer exists by default. It has to be built.
From ancient Athens to modern brands: how communities shape identity
Communities have always done two things at once: they meet a need, and they shape identity. The Athenian polis wasn’t just a place to live, it was where you became a citizen, a thinker, a participant in something larger than yourself. Medieval guilds weren’t just trade associations, they were identity structures. You were a carpenter, a baker, a glassmaker, not just by trade, but by membership.
That dual function, belonging and identity, is exactly what the best brand communities tap into today.
When someone joins a community built around a brand, product, or idea they care about, they’re not just accessing information or networking. They’re becoming part of something they identify with. The community becomes an extension of who they are. This is why communities drive loyalty and retention in a way that marketing alone can’t. You don’t leave a community easily. You leave a product. You don’t leave your people.
When talking about communities in the modern work environment, it often sits in the marketing stack, or sometimes in research. We focus on features, platforms, and content calendars. While those are important, practical steps, the real question is: what identity does this community offer its members? What does it mean to belong here? What is the behavioural norm? What do we stand for together and what does that say about me?
The illusion of connection: why social media isn’t community
We live in the most connected era in human history, and yet loneliness is at epidemic levels.
That paradox isn’t a coincidence. It’s a consequence of confusing connection with community.
Social media gives us the appearance of community. You have followers. You have likes. You can reach thousands of people with a single post. But it’s largely a one-way relationship. You consume, you broadcast, you perform. You ask members to engage on a task basis. You are rarely truly known.
Real community is bidirectional – it requires showing up, being known by others, and knowing them in return. It requires you to be vulnerable so you can build relationships. It’s built on interdependence, the idea that you need each other and that you can learn from each other, support each other. That’s what creates real belonging.
Now add AI into the picture. We can now get answers, learn almost anything, and solve problems without ever needing to ask another person. That practical interdependence not too long ago, drove community, “I need you because you know things I don’t” is eroding. And with it, one of the most natural reasons people sought each other out.
The result is a growing void. We have more and more information at our fingertips, but less wisdom. More connection, less belonging. More content, less conversation.
Why true community matters more than ever
Here’s the thing about that void: it creates an opportunity.
As AI replaces transactional relationships, the ones built on information exchange, the human need for genuine belonging becomes more acute, not less. People are not looking for another feed to scroll or another chatbot to query. They are looking for places where they are seen, heard, and valued. Communities built with that in mind will be the ones that last.
This is what separates a community from an audience. An audience follows you. A community needs each other. An account that feeds the audience with constant information, may be replaced by an algorithm. A true community made up of real people, cannot.
For founders, coaches, and creators building communities today, the philosophical case is also the strategic one. The deeper the sense of belonging you create, the more resilient your community will be. Not because you built better on-boarding flows or found the right platform.
Because you understood why people join in the first place, and built for that.
A closing note
Aristotle believed that a person who could live outside of community was either a wild beast or a god. The rest of us need each other. Not occasionally, but fundamentally.
Build your community with that in mind.
If you found this useful, join the newsletter for weekly insights on community strategy and community-led growth.