The End of Community? From Raising Barns to Building Businesses

Introduction: The Vanishing Community Spirit

In the past, communities weren’t just collections of people living near each other; they were living, breathing ecosystems of cooperation. If someone needed a barn built, it wasn’t a question of "who do I hire?" but rather "when is everyone free to help?" This wasn’t charity—it was a way of life. People understood that their survival and prosperity depended on the strength of the relationships they built with those around them.

Fast forward to today, and that way of life has largely disappeared. Instead of pooling resources and skills, we hire contractors, take out loans, and rely on businesses to solve problems that communities once handled. Success is measured by personal wealth rather than the well-being of our neighbors. We value efficiency over human connection, and as a result, the social fabric that once bound us together has unraveled.

But this shift didn’t happen overnight. The transformation from community-driven life to an individualistic, business-focused society has deep historical roots. In this piece, we’ll explore how and why we lost our sense of community, the consequences of this shift, and what we can do to rebuild what has been lost.

This community came together to help a nieghbor build thier new barn. No one expected anything in return, just the chance to get some help in return, if they ever needed it.

How We Used to Live: The Power of True Community

The Role of Community in Survival

For most of human history, people had no choice but to rely on each other. In pre-industrial societies, survival was a collective effort. There were no grocery stores, no Uber Eats, no gig economy. If you wanted to eat, you needed a network of people who farmed, fished, hunted, and preserved food together. If a house was destroyed, the community rebuilt it. If someone fell ill, neighbors took turns providing care.

One of the best examples of this communal spirit was the barn raising tradition in rural America. When a family needed a barn, the community came together to build it from the ground up in a single day. Men handled the physical labor, women prepared meals, and children played or helped in small ways. It was an act of mutual aid, but it also reinforced social bonds. The very act of working together strengthened relationships, deepened trust, and created an unspoken agreement that everyone’s success was tied to the success of the whole.

Beyond Barn-Raising: Other Forms of Communal Support

• Farming Communities: Early American towns often had communal grain mills, shared grazing lands, and cooperative irrigation systems.

• Child-Rearing: The phrase "It takes a village to raise a child" wasn’t just a saying—it was reality. Mothers weren’t expected to raise children alone; extended family and neighbors played an active role.

• Disaster Recovery: If a home burned down, the town would come together to rebuild it. No insurance claims, no government aid—just human solidarity.

  
  

This way of life wasn’t unique to America. In many parts of the world, communal living and shared responsibilities were the norm. But as society evolved, these bonds began to weaken.

The Shift: Industrialization and the Rise of Individualism

The Industrial Revolution: Breaking the Social Fabric

The Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries fundamentally changed how people lived and worked. Instead of small, self-sustaining communities, people moved to cities for factory jobs. Work was no longer about cooperation—it was about wages. Instead of trading skills and resources, people earned money to buy goods from businesses. Folks became obsessed with "keeping up with the Joneses" and this shift had profound consequences:

• Loss of Local Economies: Previously, communities had local blacksmiths, farmers, and craftsmen. With industrialization, mass production made local trade less important.

  
  

• Weakened Social Ties: People spent long hours in factories, leaving little time for community involvement.

  
  

• Dependence on Business and Government: Instead of relying on neighbors, people relied on employers for wages and on the government for services that communities once provided themselves.

  
  

By the early 20th century, these trends had accelerated. Suburbanization further isolated individuals, and technological advancements made it easier to live independently. Instead of borrowing sugar from a neighbor, people drove to the supermarket. Instead of gathering at the town square, they watched television.

The "American Ideal" - Join the rat race and buy your own home, a yellow house with a white picket fence. This lifestyle quickly reduced community and family culture, offering a new focus: individuality and competition.

Technology: The Double-Edged Sword of Connection

The Illusion of Digital Community

In theory, technology should have made communities stronger. We can now communicate instantly, access endless resources, and connect with people across the world. But paradoxically, technology has contributed to the erosion of true community.

Social media, for example, gives us a feeling of connection without the substance. Liking a post is not the same as showing up for a friend in need. Watching someone’s Instagram story doesn’t replace real conversation. As digital interactions replace physical ones, loneliness has become an epidemic.

The Decline of Physical Community Spaces

As online shopping has exploded, small businesses and communal gathering places have disappeared. Shopping malls, once vibrant social hubs, are now ghost towns. Churches, town halls, and public spaces are seeing declining participation. Even local newspapers—once the heartbeat of communities—are shutting down, leaving people disconnected from local affairs.

We are more connected than ever—but less engaged with the people physically around us.

Our phones give us a false sense of togetherness

Eventually the lack of belonging kicks in

The Consequences: Loneliness, Mental Health, and the Loss of Belonging

The Loneliness Epidemic

• Studies show that loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

  
  

• Depression and anxiety have skyrocketed in recent decades, with social isolation as a key factor.

  
  

• People are less likely to know their neighbors today than at any other point in history.

  
  

The weakening of community bonds has left people feeling disconnected and unsupported. Without strong communities, individuals are left to navigate challenges—job loss, illness, emotional struggles—on their own.

Rebuilding What We Lost: Can We Bring Back Community?

1. Reinvest in Local Communities

• Support local businesses instead of big corporations.

• Spend time in shared community spaces like farmers’ markets, libraries, and small shops.

• Join a group like Peaceful Valley Village

  
  

2. Prioritize Face-to-Face Interaction

• Host regular neighborhood gatherings.

• Make an effort to know your neighbors and check in on them.

  
  

3. Build Collaborative Networks Instead of Competitive Ones

• Shift from a mindset of “how can I get ahead?” to “how can we help each other?”

  
  

4. Use Technology for Connection, Not Just Consumption

• Organize real-life meetups through digital platforms.

• Use social media as a tool for real-world engagement, not just passive scrolling.

  
  

Conclusion: We Don’t Have to Choose Between Business and Community

We’ve gone from barn-raising to business-building, but that doesn’t mean we can’t reclaim the best aspects of community. We need to stop measuring success solely in financial terms and start valuing human connection again. Because at the end of the day, no amount of money, status, or personal achievement can replace the deep fulfillment that comes from belonging to something greater than yourself.

If we want to live in a world where people show up for each other—not just as customers, but as neighbors and friends—it’s time to rebuild what we’ve lost.

DJ Parson