You know, the power to create a good life is found in our neighbors… it’s a powerful reminder that our real wealth isn’t in institutions but in the people next door. It flips the script on where we look for solutions.
Share Image Quote:Table of Contents
Meaning
At its core, this quote argues that genuine well-being and problem-solving capacity reside within the social fabric of a local community, not in formal, impersonal systems.
Explanation
Let me break this down for you. For years, we’ve been trained to look upward and outward for answers. To the government. To corporations. To “experts” in suits. What McKnight and Block are saying is that this is a fundamental mistake. It’s a paradigm shift. The real magic—the ability to raise a child, to feel safe, to have a sense of belonging—that doesn’t come from a policy memo or a social service program. It comes from the retired teacher down the street who tutors kids, from the neighbor who shares tools, from the informal networks of care that form when people actually know each other. Systems are transactional. Neighbors are relational. And that relational capital, that’s the real currency of an abundant community. It’s about asset-based community development in the wild.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Personal Development (697) |
| Topics | connection (265), interdependence (3), trust (147) |
| Literary Style | conversational (15), plain (102) |
| Emotion / Mood | hopeful (357), reassuring (55) |
| Overall Quote Score | 77 (179) |
Origin & Factcheck
This insight comes straight from the 2010 book, The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods, by community organizers John McKnight and Peter Block. It was born from their decades of work, primarily in the United States, challenging the over-reliance on professionalized systems. You won’t find this attributed correctly anywhere else—it’s their core thesis.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | John McKnight (51) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods (51) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1892) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
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 | The power to create a good life is found in our neighbors, not in our systems |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 2010; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 9781605095844; Last edition: 2012; Number of pages: 192. |
| Where is it? | Chapter: Neighbors as Citizens, Approximate page from 2012 edition: 31 |