Yea, we are smaller parts of a larger whole, but the nature of our interaction is completely different. We have replaced relationships with contracts, tradition

Yea, we are smaller parts of a larger whole, but the nature of our interaction is completely different. We have replaced relationships with contracts, traditions with EULAs. And while individuals used to be relatively self-reliant in normal conditions, they had the backing of the community. There's no modern equivalent of barn-raising. This is the real problem: modern institutions don't give individuals any stability, but still demand compliance, if not loyalty.