Transforming Modern Communities for a Happier Tomorrow

Modern Communities especially Residential Societies, Office Complexes, Members Clubs, and College Campuses are hives of untapped potential, humming with the possibility of richer, more connected human experiences. Desire for ‘Happiness’ is one of the three core human drives (other two being ‘Highness’ and ‘Holiness’) and it depends directly and indirectly on the quantity, quality and proximity of our social connects. More of our deep social connects stay close to us happier we are. Modern Communities may play a significant role here as humans are a social animal and we spend most of our time in these Communities.?

In the tapestry of human history, the last 10,000 years have seen us flourishing in tight-knit packs where everyone was deeply connected with everyone. Such closeness meant happiness was a common, shared commodity; its value has been unnoticed due to its abundance. Fast forward to today's sprawling modern communities, and we find ourselves amidst a culture that has strayed from these interwoven connections. Even simple acts of neighborly exchange like asking for cheeni (sugar), which once fostered bonds, are now replaced by the instantaneous gratification offered by quick commerce services, like Blinkit in India. Technology has ensured that we can survive on our own in these advanced Modern Communities without ever talking to a human being, we get everything we ned with a tap on our mobile screen. This ability to thrive in solitude, aided by technology, has paradoxically deepened our isolation in these Modern Communities, fostering what I term a 'Happiness Deficit'—a void marked by an acute sense of loneliness.

Yet amidst this societal shift, beacons of hope like Salil Agrawal , the founder of the IIMAGES community, shine brightly. For over 15 years, he has dedicated himself to inter-connecting IIM Alumni and getting them together under one roof first Friday of every month in Gurgaon. I have seen Rakesh Sharma selflessly inter-connecting IIT Kanpur alumni for over two decades now, spending so much time and effort and energy without seeking any benefit for himself at all. What kind of people they are? Why are they doing this? They are not making money, spending even their own money at times in this pursuit.?

There are so many people like Salil and Rakesh who are incessantly doing this thankless job of bringing people together. Indeed they create happiness for people which brushes on them too, the desire to bring like-minded people together and see them being happy, actually adds to their own happiness. We talked to many of these community architects and it seems they are not doing it for this happiness alone as they can easily create happiness in their lives with lesser effort. It seems building communities in itself is their drive and hence their reward.?

These community builders showcase a model that could be emulated worldwide, transforming millions of modern communities into hubs of happiness.

At blunder.one, we're inspired by these community stalwarts. We're harnessing technology to knit these communities closer on a grand scale. Starting with Central Park-1 in Gurgaon, residents now use our blunder.one to create hangouts for diverse activities — whether it’s seeking company for hitting Gym, or going to pub or playing badminton, or company for evening stroll or company for playing poker or going to shopping or company for discussing quantum physics over coffee or beer. People are increasingly creating hangouts seeking company here in this community. And the movement begins.

As per our research we expect 33.33% of the community members to create hangouts and 66.66% of them to accept them. Rest 33.33% of them would be lurkers they would keep coming to the app but do nothing, neither create nor accept.?

We envision blunder.one would be transforming millions of modern communities scaling the Global Happiness Index exponentially.

It’s all about the Vision and its execution.

The vision we have is met with mixed reactions so far, few said it is a historic movement poised to impact billions of lives, few said nobody wants to meet anyone and it is a super flop endeavour. Few said users would use the platform and once they meet people they would exchange WhatsApp numbers and would not come back to the app, few said people would not pay for it so it won’t sustain. Few said technology only divides and it can never connect.?

What's your take? Are we on the brink of a happiness revolution, or is this the pursuit of an idealistic dream in a digitally disconnected world? Please share your thoughts.