Belonging is not something you buy… it’s a truth I’ve seen proven again and again. You can’t purchase genuine connection; you have to actively construct it through consistent care and effort. It’s the fundamental work of building a real community.
Share Image Quote:Table of Contents
Meaning
This quote cuts to the heart of a modern illusion: that community is a product. Its core message is that authentic belonging is an act of creation, not consumption. It’s built, not bought.
Explanation
Let me break this down from my experience. We live in a world that sells us everything, right? We’re sold the idea that if we just get the right house, the right car, join the right club, we’ll *belong*. But that’s a transactional mindset. It’s passive. What McKnight and Block are saying is that belonging is an active verb. It’s the sum total of a thousand small actions: checking on a neighbor, sharing a tool, listening without waiting to talk. It’s the invisible infrastructure built on care. You’re not a customer in a community; you’re a co-creator. That shift in perspective changes everything.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3686) |
| Category | Relationship (329) |
| Topics | care (19), connection (267), trust (147) |
| Literary Style | poetic (636), succinct (151) |
| Emotion / Mood | gentle (183), warm (183) |
| Overall Quote Score | 78 (178) |
Origin & Factcheck
This wisdom comes directly from John McKnight and Peter Block’s fantastic 2010 book, The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods. You’ll sometimes see similar sentiments floating around unattributed, but this is the source. It emerged from their work in the United States, focusing on community asset-based development.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | John McKnight (51) |
| Source Type | Book (4048) |
| Source/Book Name | The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods (51) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1891) |
| Original Language | English (3686) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4048) |
Author Bio
John McKnight, Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University had spent decades of his life helping people rediscover the power of relationships. Being, co-founder of the ABCD Institute, his core idea revolves around communities that grows by identifying and connecting their assets. You’ll find the John McKnight book list here which are anchored by Building Communities from the Inside Out, The Careless Society, The Abundant Community, and The Connected Community.
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Belonging is not something you buy, but something you build by caring |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2010; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781605095844; Last edition: 2012; Number of pages: 192. |
| Where is it? | Chapter: Building Belonging, Approximate page from 2012 edition: 58 |