ReThinking The keys to a flourishing community with Dan Coyle
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Jan 27, 2026 
Dan Coyle, journalist and bestselling author who studies how groups thrive, shares vivid stories of communal magic. He describes a Paris long-table that sparked neighborhood self-organization. He explores Norwich’s collective child-rearing that breeds Olympians. He reflects on Alaska rituals, the power of shared hardship, and why action and letting go beat overplanning.
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Cold Places Forge Close-Knit Communities
- Dan Coyle grew up in Alaska where isolation forced people to 'make your own family' and cooperate to get things done.
- He recalls outdoor plays and community projects as examples of action-oriented mutual support.
Shared Hardship Awakens Cooperative Energy
- Shared hardship creates vulnerability that opens people to reaching out and cooperating.
- Flourishing communities favor animation and collective meaning over automation and solo routines.
A Long Table Turned Neighbors Into 'Super Voisins'
- Patrick Bernard in Paris rented an 88-foot table and 700 chairs for a block-long dinner to spark neighborly groups.
- The event led to self-organized clubs and transformed a snobbish neighborhood into a village-like community.
