As the title states, we are so WEIRD (western educated industrialized rich democratic).  And, we don’t just believe it to be normal but also “best” for humanity to be such (i.e., others should be like us).  This belief system blinds us to our biases and prevents us from any substantive change.  In fact, we hold values that prevent people from coming together, from sharing, and from solving problems we collectively face.  And until we are willing to critically examine how the society we have been raised within shapes what we believe and hold dear, there is little hope of stepping off this path we were set upon millennia ago.

Growing up in the United States and residing in a variety of cooperative living situations, you come to understand different people come to these circumstances with very different outlooks on how humans should collaborate under the same roof.  Following is a synthesis of my observations based not just upon the actions of other humans but also my personal evolution and aspirations.  The tiers of outlooks are highly motivated by both the American culture and the individual maturity of each member of the home.  There will always be exceptions, and some people are giving in one area and selfish in another.  Importantly, there is no judgment being cast here, nor is this a statement that our community members have achieved anything in the way of communal enlightenment.  This is simply a summary of how individual outlook will influence the relationships that form around that person.  Perhaps this can be useful for others in considering how their outlook promotes or limits their personal growth.