In a manner of speaking, yes. It is possible to have a community where people disagree, voice their disagreements in a civil manner, and try to understand the

In a manner of speaking, yes. It is possible to have a community where people disagree, voice their disagreements in a civil manner, and try to understand the other side. Likewise, it is possible to have a community with a plurality of interests where people explore interests outside of their own. I suspect the size of the community, rather than exclusivity, is the driving factor. I have lived in small isolated towns a couple of times. These were by no means social utopias, yet I did find that people were more interested in the ideas of other people within their community. This is in stark contrast to the Internet where you look around for communities that reflect yourself, and that are more trigger happy when it comes to dissenters.