Humans need to feel connected to others, and that connection isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a deep, psychological imperative that often gets activated most powerfully when things fall apart. When the chips are down, our instinct isn’t to isolate, but to band together, and that’s where we find a sense of belonging we often miss in our comfortable, modern lives.
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Meaning
At its core, this quote means that our deepest sense of community and belonging isn’t forged in times of ease, but in the crucible of shared struggle.
Explanation
It’s a counterintuitive truth, right? We spend our lives chasing comfort and security. But what Junger is pointing to is this incredible paradox: we often feel more alive, more purposeful, and more connected when we’re facing a common threat or a common hardship. It strips away the superficial stuff—the status, the material possessions—and reduces us to our most human state: interdependent. It’s why veterans sometimes miss the war, not the violence, but the profound brotherhood. It’s why neighborhoods come together after a natural disaster. Adversity, strangely, gives us a gift—it gives us each other.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Relationship (329) |
| Topics | adversity (4), connection (265), resilience (106), solidarity (2) |
| Literary Style | philosophical (434), plain (102) |
| Emotion / Mood | realistic (354), uplifting (157) |
| Overall Quote Score | 79 (243) |
Origin & Factcheck
This insight comes directly from Sebastian Junger’s 2016 book, Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. He’s a journalist and author, not a psychologist, but he synthesizes anthropology, history, and psychology to build this powerful argument. You’ll sometimes see similar sentiments floating around, but this specific, elegant phrasing is all Junger.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Sebastian Junger (60) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (60) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Sebastian Junger is born in Belmont, United States on 1962. He studied cultural anthropology at Wesleyan University and built his career in journalism. He is the one of the leading contributor and editor at Vanity Fair. Along with Tim Hetherington, he codirected Restrepo(2010 American documentary), which went on to win Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize and an Academy Award nomination. The Sebastian Junger book list includes The Perfect Storm, Tribe, A Death in Belmont, Freedom, War, and In My Time of Dying, each marked by distinct writing style
| Official Website
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Humans need to feel connected to others, and that connection often comes most powerfully in times of adversity |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 2016; ISBN: 978-1-4555-6638-6; Last edition: 2017; Number of pages: 192. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 3: In Bitter Safety I Awake, Approximate page 68 from 2017 edition |