You know, the modern world has greatly diminished our sense of belonging, and it’s a problem I see everywhere in my work. Sebastian Junger really nailed it in ‘Tribe’ – we’re wired for community, but modern life has stripped that away, leaving a void we desperately try to fill, often in ways that just don’t work.
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Meaning
At its core, this quote means that our contemporary, individualistic society has fractured the deep, tribal connections humans naturally crave, and our attempts to rebuild that sense of community are often misguided and ultimately unsatisfying.
Explanation
Let me break this down a bit. For thousands and thousands of years, we lived in small, interdependent groups where everyone had a clear role and a shared purpose—survival. That’s our baseline. That’s what we’re built for. But the modern world? It’s all about the individual, autonomy, personal success. And while that sounds great on paper, it’s left us profoundly isolated. So what happens? We go looking for that missing piece. We try to find our “tribe” in online echo chambers, in consumer identities, in superficial social networks. And it just… doesn’t scratch the itch. It’s like trying to quench a deep thirst with soda. It might feel good for a second, but it doesn’t actually hydrate you. We’re looking for connection in all the wrong places.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Community (61) |
| Topics | loneliness (8), modernity (6), purpose (186) |
| Literary Style | analytical (121), reflective (255) |
| Emotion / Mood | somber (55) |
| Overall Quote Score | 80 (256) |
Origin & Factcheck
This insight comes directly from Sebastian Junger’s 2016 book, Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. It was published in the United States, and it’s a work of non-fiction that draws on his experiences as a war correspondent and his research into anthropology and psychology. You sometimes see similar sentiments floating around, but this specific phrasing is Junger’s.
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 | The modern world has greatly diminished our sense of belonging and purpose, leaving many to search for community in all the wrong places |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 2016; ISBN: 978-1-4555-6638-6; Last edition: 2017; Number of pages: 192. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 2: War Makes You an Animal, Approximate page 41 from 2017 edition |