You know, the strength of a community is measured not by its wealth or infrastructure, but by something much more profound. It’s about how deeply people look out for one another, a concept that becomes more relevant every day. This idea cuts to the heart of what truly makes a society resilient and human.
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Meaning
The quote posits that a community’s true power isn’t in its material assets, but in the quality of the social bonds and reciprocal support among its members.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out in organizations, in towns, even in online groups. We often get distracted by metrics like GDP or membership counts, but that’s all surface-level. The real engine, the thing that allows a group to withstand a crisis and thrive in good times, is the unspoken network of care. It’s the neighbor who shovels your walk without being asked. It’s the colleague who covers for you when your kid is sick. This “depth” Junger talks about—it’s the difference between a transaction and a genuine connection. A shallow community has shallow roots; it blows over in the first strong wind. A deep one? It’s resilient. It bends but doesn’t break because everyone is holding everyone else up.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3680) |
| Category | Community (61) |
| Topics | care (19), strength (36), support (20), unity (20) |
| Literary Style | simple (291) |
| Emotion / Mood | hopeful (357), kind (19), wise (34) |
| Overall Quote Score | 82 (297) |
Origin & Factcheck
This insight comes directly from Sebastian Junger’s 2016 book, Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, which was published in the United States. It’s a work of non-fiction that explores post-traumatic stress disorder and the human longing for tribal connection. You won’t find this quote falsely attributed to other authors; it’s pure Junger, born from his observations of veterans and modern society.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Sebastian Junger (60) |
| Source Type | Book (4042) |
| Source/Book Name | Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (60) |
| Origin Timeperiod | 21st Century (1891) |
| Original Language | English (3680) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4042) |
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 strength of a community is measured by the depth of its mutual care |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 2016; ISBN: 978-1-4555-6638-6; Last edition: 2017; Number of pages: 192. |
| Where is it? | Chapter 4: Calling Home, Approximate page 121 from 2017 edition |