Houfy: the Power of Community vs. Individualism

Communitarianism is the 'balancing of the individual's rights against those of the community.'

Houfy's power will come from its community of members

In the US Constitution we are guaranteed rights that we were born with: life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

That last one, as you know, was to be 'property.'  Property is not just land.  YOU are your own property.  That was an element of fundamental freedom in the original draft of the Declaration of Independence.

So how can you 'balance' those rights with those of the community?  The community has no rights under the US Constitution.  Individuals have rights and responsibilities, but the community as a whole, what is that?  The collective?  Whenever you 'balance' or subsume, or subordinate, or consensus-ize the individuals' rights you'll get something different from what we are guaranteed under the Constitution. 

Communitarianism.  Balancing your individual rights with the 'rights' of the community.  This is being pitched to you as the new enlightened form of political discourse.  You are 'selfish' if you insist on your individual rights and freedoms. For the good of the planet. For everyone's security. For your health. To protect your children. To limit workplace violence. To stop bullying. 

All of these things are laudable, but somehow they always result in more restrictive laws that affect everyone. They criminalize everyone.  In many towns the Civil Code has been criminalized.  What does that mean?  If you don't mow your lawn it's a misdemeanor. If you home is not licensed for short term rental you get fined.

True community doesn’t happen unless everyone is willing to give up some of their identity as an individual to take on the identity of the group (Houfy). If this doesn’t happen, then we are merely a group of individuals sharing common space but not becoming a community. It doesn’t mean that we go to the extremes of everyone wearing the same clothing, praying the same way, if at all, or believing the same things. However, it does mean that we move individualism from the center of our focus and replace it with a new concept of shared community, in which everyone gives up a little so that we can gain a lot.

Every shared listing, post, story or guide brings YOU or someone else in the Houfy community closer to a booking

In true community we gain a lot. We gain affirmation of who we are both as individuals and as part of a group. We gain the wisdom of others who may have ideas different from our own. In true community, we are supported in our life’s journeys because we feel safe to be known at our deepest levels, and because we are all committed to the health of the community. And finally, we gain the commitment and the power to change the world. (THINK SHARING YOUR HOUFY LISTING)

Individualism is so attractive in the beginning. (THINK SHARING YOUR PERSONAL WEBSITE) For many people who felt the heavy yoke of being in communities of faith where they could not fully be who they were, individualism tastes like the food they have been hungering for. But it is good only when we are starving. When we have had our fill, we look for food to sustain us for the long journey of life. That life-sustaining food can be found only in true communities of shared purpose and values, where the individual is affirmed but is not worshipped.

Will your guests remember abc-rental-in-xyz-city.com or Houfy?

Who are you?

Knowledge: How much of what you know did you learn from other people? That's taken to mean that nobody is truly an individual.

Ideas: When coming up with an idea in a group, there's usually an exchange. It wasn't one person who invented the idea from scratch, but a group effort. So again, it's seen as the group that made the decision.

Culture: You're a product of your culture, right? Your outlook on life is at first very much dominated by the views of the people around you.

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