There are a lot things to which we might belong in civilization. We might belong to nation states, corporations, political parties, ideologies, interest groups or material things. By belonging to them they possess us, influence our thoughts, our actions, our associations.
On the backpacking expeditions I participated we left all those civilized belongings behind. We belonged only to each other. When people belong to each other they influence each others thoughts, actions and associations. If the belonging truly is mutual, as occurred in my backpacking expeditions, as occurred in early nomadic societies in a climate of equality, then compromise and eventually harmony is achieved through these belongings.
Studies have shown that our health and happiness depends on social networks. They do not depend on belonging to nation states, corporations, ideologies, etc. or any other civilized belonging. Only our normal belonging, the belonging to each other first and foremost as occurs under natural conditions, is a virtue.
