Impulse of Individual vs Community

"The community stagnates without the impulse of the individual. The impulse dies away without the sympathy of the community."

- William James

May of our interests and goals are mutable, and liable to change depending on the environment that we're in. If we're not on a soccer team, we don't care about scoring a goal. If we're not a salesperson, we don't try to make a sale. If we're not a student, we don't worry about impressing a teacher. These goals are important when we belong to a particular of community, but are not necessarily important to us in the larger story of our lives.

I am interested in the habits, hobbies, and practices that I take with me through different environments. Although these objects do not define who we are, I do believe that they are closer to what we are. There's something true in what we carry without putting down.