---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Some [intentional communities], like the…"
description: "\"Some [intentional communities], like the Shakers and the Harmony Society, have endured for a century or even longer. The Hutterians, to cite an extreme..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/benjamin-zablocki-222786_business_some-intentional-communities-like-the-sh_110542.jpg"
---

#  Some \[intentional communities\], like the Shakers and the…

![“Some &#91;intentional communities&#93;, like the Shakers and the Harmony Society, have endured for a century or even longer. The Hutterians, to cite an extreme example, are today still strongly committed to communal living after practicing it, punctuated only by occasional lapses into private enterprise…” quote by Benjamin Zablocki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/benjamin-zablocki-222786_business_some-intentional-communities-like-the-sh_110542.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/benjamin-zablocki-222786_business_some-intentional-communities-like-the-sh_110542.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ac/benjamin-zablocki-222786_business_some-intentional-communities-like-the-sh_110542.jpg)

> “Some \[intentional communities\], like the Shakers and the Harmony Society, have endured for a century or even longer. The Hutterians, to cite an extreme example, are today still strongly committed to communal living after practicing it, punctuated only by occasional lapses into private enterprise, for 450 years. The Hutterian rate of membership turnover has been only about 0.0006 per year.”

Benjamin Zablocki

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Intentional communities can persist for centuries with strong commitment and low turnover.

**In simple terms:** Long-lived communal groups survive through shared purpose.

Key Takeaway

Foster shared purpose and low turnover.

Themes

community commitment longevity history membership

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

Business:0 Century:0 Citing:0 Collaboration:0 Committed:0 Community:1 Enterprise:0 Example:0 Extremes:0 Harmony:0 Has beens:0 Lapses:0 Membership:1 Occasional:0 Private enterprise:0 Rate:0 Shakers:0 Stills:0 Today:0 Turnover:0 Years:0 Intentional Communities:1 Years Hutterian:0 Longer Hutterians:0 Hutterians Cite:0 Hutterian Rate:0

When to use this quote

- historical study
- community building
- comparative sociology
- policy design
- anthropology

Key Concepts

social cohesion collective identity religious practice

Questions to Reflect On

- What mechanisms sustain long-term communal cohesion?
- How do occasional private enterprises affect community identity?

A Different Perspective

Longevity may hinge on external economic pressures.

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