For most of human history, we lived in small, tight-knit groups. These family-based communities, often between 25 and 150 people, formed the backbone of survival and social interaction. Anthropological research shows that Homo sapiens evolved under these conditions, relying heavily on personal relationships, trust, and cooperation. As societies grew larger with the advent of agriculture and the formation of cities, new challenges emerged that our evolutionary makeup was never fully equipped to handle.

Humans are fundamentally social creatures, but the structure of our socialization evolved for small groups. According to Burnside, Brown, and Burger, human macroecology demonstrates that our social strategies were shaped to optimize survival in small, dispersed communities, not in modern cities' crowded, complex environments (Burnside, Brown, & Burger, 2012).

Small communities offer significant advantages. In these settings, individuals benefit from strong kinship ties, high levels of cooperation, and immediate reciprocity. Living in a small group means that social roles are clearly defined, and people directly influence group decisions. This fosters a profound sense of belonging and purpose. In contrast, large cities necessitate abstract........

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