Cob "A Pattern Language"

[Craig Hull]

On Tue, 18 Aug 1998, Jeffrey Kirsch wrote:

> snip <
> 
> That said, the authors say "Individuals have no effective voice in 
> any community of more than 5,000 - 10,000 persons". Living in 
> Atlanta, I can relate to that! This is spelled out in detail.
> They also go on to explain the relationships of neighboring 
> communities, large urban areas, and "the countryside".
> 

I hope his statement is not as simplistic as that. Because as a flat
statement it just ain't so, even though it is an accurate generalization.

> snip < 
> 
> A cob community certainly is intriguing to me, not because of the 
> similar style of buildings, but because we are all pretty independent 
> thinkers, or we wouldn't be on this list. Could be an interesting 
> assembly of citizens. Believe me, I'm not looking for utopia, I think 
> this collection could get quite explosive at times. But I'd rather have 
> that than the bland complacency I encounter now in my life. Land 
> of the living dead would be an apt description.

One problem with communities with a shared focus, whether that be an art
colony or a middle class suburb, is that the assumption that everyone will
share a particular charecteristic likely will not remain valid. And the
social pressure on and or condemnation of those who come to not fit in can
be excrutiating. Since I've become disabled and unable to properly keep up
our surburban house w've been taking the brunt of the surburban version of
this. But I've seen it happen with people in several types of communities
in the past. Religious, pacifist, actionist, hippies, conservative and
liberal.

As good as such communities can be for those for whom they work, I'm not
interested in risking the possible downside of becoming the black sheep of
the community at this time. And it's important to realize that this
problem exists. Every issue has more than one side. And some of the people
who go in sharing the group's values will change and come to hold opinions
that the group will find unacceptable or otherwise cease to fit it. The
pain this causes maybe can't be avoided, but it could be reduced by
planning for it. Most groups are way too optomistic and people get hurt
because of it. The reaction that says that anyone different than me must
be evil runs real deep. Even in people who know better and reject that.