A sense of shared sacrifice strengthens community bonds. I would suggest that there is a signalling problem that needs to be solved ("we are all in this togethe

A sense of shared sacrifice strengthens community bonds. I would suggest that there is a signalling problem that needs to be solved ("we are all in this together, making this sacrifice") - in other words, an unforgeable way for community members to signal to each other that they are not free riders. If everyone knows that everyone is not a free rider, the community will be much stronger. I submit that this is the primary reason religious "intentional communities" with strict rules are much more likely to succeed than the generic "utopian community" ones. Without that sense of shared sacrifice, it is too easy for grifters and free-riders to glom on.