has anyone ever thought of moving to an intentional community?

[clangs92]

I think this may be one of the most frugal ways to live but there are so many factors that could make it go wrong. But then again there are SO many different types of intentional communities that it seems there would have to be one that would work for everyone. There are tons of different dynamics within these communities but one I find interesting is the "not so benevolent dictator" dynamic. I know this sounds weird but paul wheaton elaborates on what I'm talking about in this conversation he had with nathan crane: http://richsoil.com/self-reliance.php

[GandK]

If the church communities I've been part of over the years are any indication, any such community would eventually devolve into power struggles.

[Dave]

I really like the idea of living in an intentional community but I don't think the utopia in my mind is how it would be, due to a variety of reasons including the inevitable power struggles GandK mentioned.

[C40]

When I lived in Madison WI, I gave some thought to living in one of these:

http://madisoncommunity.coop/

A guy I know lived in one of them and he liked it. He said the food cost worked out well for him because he ate a lot but everyone pays the same amount. They aren't all that cheap though. I ended up moving closer to work instead.

[simplex]

I live in a community, although I'm not sure it qualifies as intentional.
We have separate houses, but share a community garden, trampoline, sauna, fire place, community house, tools, .....
It's all based on voluntary exchanges, except a once per 2 month cleaning duty. We have people doing nothing, and people doing much. I think this is great, as people can avoid conflicts by just opting out of the community (temporarily).
The community allows some things to be cheaper, but because of the rent it's not that cheap. We don't have a dictator at all, and once every few years we change and tweak our expectations on what people can contribute. Since about 35 years it works well.

[clangs92]

simplex, that sounds like a really great system. I think the trouble comes when everyone wants everyone to contribute exactly equal amounts of work and this is hard because everyone is so different and have different abilities and capabilities and that often breeds resentment. obligation turns into resentment. so you said "We have people doing nothing, and people doing much." So does this mean you guys kind of accept the variety of capabilities and contributions? Or did it mean something else?

[jacob]

A dorm is a kind of "intentional" community. Since living in a dorm means very different things to different people, let me specify.

First dorm had four separate 1bd+1ba with a common kitchen. It worked well as long as everybody took care to clean the kitchen area after use. If one person stated slacking (leaving a mess) it rapidly disintegrated because everybody else didn't 1) want to clean it up; 2) figured it meant they could leave a mess too.

Second dorm had 18 sepeate 1bd. Same dynamics ... but it was kept in check by paying someone to clean the kitchen and bathrooms (about 4 of them) to bring it back up to standard.

Basically ... w/o some common concern (genetic family) ... pay someone to "fix it".

[simplex]

@clang92
> So does this mean you guys kind of accept the variety of capabilities and contributions?
Yes, we accept that. In my view most (all) who come to live here have the intention to contribute, but sometimes it doesn't work out.
Often people are active in the community for a few years, then loose interest for a few years, and then reconnect again or move away. That's okay. However we (strongly) encourage that everyone does some cleaning duty in a small group every six weeks or so. This small group approach gives some social bonding, but we wont force you to come (how would you do that?, especially without bringing bad feelings).
Most people get so much back from living here in terms of a garden, neighbours you know, shared tools and tool shed, guest rooms, fireplace, ..., that they are willing to do what they can afford.

[jobob_0]

I tried it for about eight months. My family lived in a camper on a guys wooded backyard. There was a couple other tiny houses and a couple other campers. And a few people lived in the main house. I had to leave for a lot of reasons, but I did manage to pay off 7k in debt while there. I was paying $300 a month all utilities included. I believe it can work if the community has good documents and process. I talk about intentional community some on my blog. http://www.camperlifenow.blogspot.com

[Tyler9000]

In the long run, I suspect I would most likely prefer a diverse community with good neighbors of all backgrounds and beliefs to one that self-selects by whatever cause they hold dear. The latter is particularly fragile to all sorts of corrupting influences, and the line between utopia and xenophobia is sometimes thinner than you might think.

[OldPro]

The problem is that very few survive over the long term. In the 60s and 70s there were literally thousands of 'hippie communes' started and of them all only a few survived for any length of time. I don't see anything wrong with trying but when I look at the odds of success, I have to wonder about the difference between possible and probable.

It's like saying you can't prove it won't work this time after it has failed a thousand times. It may be true but I also can't prove that if I hit my head against a brick wall one more time, that the wall won't fall down. Should I keep hitting my head against the brick wall?

If you want to try it, give it a try. But I'd look for one that has been around for a fair amount of time. I would define a fair amount of time as 20 plus years. There are a few on this list: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/2 ... 68023.html

[chenda]

In the long run, I suspect I would most likely prefer a diverse community with good neighbors of all backgrounds and beliefs to one that self-selects by whatever cause they hold dear. The latter is particularly fragile to all sorts of corrupting influences, and the line between utopia and xenophobia is sometimes thinner than you might think.

I tend to agree. More mixed communities may tend by necessity to be more inclusive and tolerant of dissenters.

Although I surpose property prices in certain areas can lead to a form of self-selection.

[jobob_0]

if you want to persu this idea further and take steps to achieving it I recommend reading "Creating a life together" By Diana Leafe Christian. She is the editor of Communities magazine. Its a step by step process to build a community from scratch. Its filled with lots of stories of failed communities and why they failed.

[Tyler9000]

Although I surpose property prices in certain areas can lead to a form of self-selection.

True. And the often out-of-control homeowners associations in those high-expense areas are one classic example of an emergent corrupting influence.

[Kriegsspiel]

The problem is that very few survive over the long term. In the 60s and 70s there were literally thousands of 'hippie communes' started and of them all only a few survived for any length of time. I don't see anything wrong with trying but when I look at the odds of success, I have to wonder about the difference between possible and probable.

It's like saying you can't prove it won't work this time after it has failed a thousand times. It may be true but I also can't prove that if I hit my head against a brick wall one more time, that the wall won't fall down. Should I keep hitting my head against the brick wall?

If you want to try it, give it a try. But I'd look for one that has been around for a fair amount of time. I would define a fair amount of time as 20 plus years. There are a few on this list: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/2 ... 68023.html

Boom.

Green Bank, West By God.
Arcosanti, Arizona
Twin Oaks, Virginia
Yogaville, Buckingham, Virginia
The Ecovillage at Ithaca, New York
Polestar Yoga Community, Big Island, Hawaii

[dalralmi]

Twin Oaks in Vieginia is semi close to where I live (four hours away) and I randomly just learned about It today. It seems like the type of place I'd like to go to for a period of time but then want to get out and travel. I like having a plan and I overly worry/obsess over things so having a few things less to think about is nice. I also like the idea of being able to switch jobs regularly.