The Virtue of Sharing

How Important is Sharing to the Future?

This ‘Future Tense’ podcast ‘The Virtue of Sharing‘ covered the remarkable nature of sharing, and it’s critical importance to a thriving human culture, and our well-being.

Edwina Stott interviewed our friend Tom Llewellyn from Shareable.net, a non-profit “obsessed” with sharing. They just released a new FREE guide: Sharing Cities: Activating the Urban Commons!

So what does Sharing Have to Offer?

• Reduce Overconsumption — most Americans have a lot of things we don’t particularly use very often. This leads to clutter and a shortage of space, plus more time to find and maintain all your things. Sharing takes some of the burden off of you, as you don’t have to hold onto everything “just in case.”
• Environmental Impact —  all of this stuff has an environmental cost as well. Each item we own or that we use temporarily has an embodied energy from the raw materials, to manufacturing, to transport. If we were able to share items more easily, we wouldn’t need as many new items, hence less impact.
• Crisis of Loneliness — people around the world are battling social isolation and a longing for connection. Sharing helps people to interact in a meaningful and pleasant way that builds community. In addition when you depend on and assist one another, it creates a real sense of belonging, teamwork, and shared destiny when you are able to trust in and depend on each other.

Benefits of Sharing

This ‘Virtue of Sharing’ episode also explores open source technologies, and the benefits of collaboration and distributed development in the building of software.

For example, OptiKey was developed as an open source project to create visual impairment software.

Or in the healthcare world — when people share more information, about their conditions and treatments, from their doctors notes, to their social groups and online blogs, it can bring great benefits. This includes the opportunity for more social support, plus more personal acceptance, peace, and resolve to go through it, with ultimately better treatment and care outcomes being possible.

The psychology of sharing can also be applied to encourage pro-social behaviors, such as donating to support worthwhile causes. Essentially, we often want to be recognized by others if we are helping out.

Let’s Share Communities

Let’s test this theory out! FIC will proudly share your name in a special blog post thanking everyone who contributes to the Planet Community Kickstarter Campaign!

Help us by contributing to the creation of a unique web series that shares deep insights from intentional communities who have innovated a variety of methods and philosophies of sharing.

And of course, please Share and Share Alike! Inform your friends who want to explore Communities.

Let’s spread what is being learned and innovated in intentional communities to the world!