Happy 250th! (thread 13), Episode 8: Jane Addams, on Bigger Houses and Forgetting Neighbors

Let’s talk about loneliness and what Jane Addams might make of our 21st-century lives. We’ve got amazing comforts and constant connections, but sometimes it feels like we traded real neighbors for followers and notifications.

Adams would nudge us gently: community isn’t automatic. It’s built with sidewalks, parks, front porches, showing up, and small acts of care. Those tiny, real moments are what keep democracy alive — and they’re surprisingly within reach.