Communitas is the emotion that comes from the joy of sharing time with a significant group of people. It is a feeling of belonging in which the identity of each is respected and there is no submission.
Last update: January 30, 2022
Communitas is an intense, effervescent and joyful emotion that we feel in the company of other people. It is the collective joy that comes from union, from adhering to a group of significant figures with whom one has a relationship. Few sensations are so gratifying to the human being compared to the sense of belonging.
It is interesting to know that this concept is not only the opposite of loneliness, it is also far from domination or submission.
A dimension in which the identity of each member is respected, because nothing is as satisfying as contributing to a group with ideas, values, perspectives and approaches. The diversity of the group is its strength.
Long-term merging of identity and submission leads to domination and weakness. communitas It is synonymous with happiness, dynamism, fun and complicity.
It is a spontaneous union of beings who appreciate and respect each other, of figures who enjoy the moments of collectivity in which a group is much more than the parts that compose it.
Communitas is an emotion that enriches the human being. We are social beings who need secure, meaningful and respectful bonds.
What is the communitas?
Communitas is the emotion that promotes calm and harmony in a world immersed in chaos. It gives harmony, trust and joy in the fullest sense. Few states are as cathartic and socially beneficial as joy.
Research work conducted at Eastern Washington University highlights that when we feel joyful, gratitude and social well-being increase. Communitas is a distinctive and moving emotion and if we pause to analyze it, we will discover that we almost always experience it when we are in company.
Life takes on a different aspect when we are with people we appreciate. It was the anthropologist Edith Turner who coined and studied the concept of communitas and defined it as that been tried by a group of people whose life together acquires full meaning.
It is a spontaneous and comforting perception that arises when we realize that those around us give meaning to our existence.
Knowing how to share quality time, the secret of good alliances
The emotion of communitas emerges when some activities are carried out together. Being classmates, traveling, eating together, celebrating, supporting each other in times of difficulty, being a refuge for each other, looking after each other… All this shapes a luminous alloy that gives well-being.
The sense of belonging is built by sharing alliances and quality time. But also by discovering that we are surrounded by people we can trust. It's like that warm breeze that comforts, that makes you feel at home and that appeases all fear.
Communitas, the emotion that does not extinguish individuality
We anticipated it: communitas is the emotion we feel when we feel part of a group in which the individuality of the individual is respected.
It is the joy that accelerates hearts when we perceive that our uniqueness is respected and appreciated. The distinctive traits of each make the group stronger, richer and more diverse.
As anthropologist Edith Turner points out, when we experience the sense of communitas there is a contempt for status. No one is superior nor do we infer, we are all equal.
Why the total absence of ego defines this emotion; pride fades to give way to genuine appreciation and joy.
In this emotion there is a genuine appreciation of the other: his individuality is appreciated because we know that what makes us unique enriches others.
People who resonate with each other to invest in happiness and trust
Communitas is an emotion inscribed in our human potential. We are social beings, forming communities and being part of a group is a necessity for us.
Being cooperative, helping each other, enjoying the company of family and friends is a pen that helps us write our story in a positive way.
We are all better when we make the most of our time and share it with the people we care about. Even when we let ourselves be looked after and there we allow to experience the joy of the company of those who make us happy with his presence, with his gestures and words.
When we find people who resonate with us, that synergy comes on thanks to which we move in the same direction: investing in happiness.
Collective joy against loneliness
We live in increasingly individualistic societies where loneliness grows like weeds that grow out of all proportion. And this makes us sick.
In these circumstances, only the sense of communitas can come to our aid. Only collective joy (experienced with other people) is able to save us from our universes of sadness and loneliness.
The need for belonging and collectivity has been the secret of our survival since the beginning of time. The company of other people with whom to share life, projects, fears and desires traces that bond that allows us to get out of the depths of our depressions and our isolation.
Let's enjoy this emotion, let's promote this state, because communitas is that collective pleasure we all need.
