“For millions of years, human beings have been part of one tribe or another. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.” – Seth Godin

Moving from Belfast to London was a culture shock. Suddenly, I was a nobody. Completely anonymous. I loved the freedom it afforded but missed belonging to a group or community. Luckily, it grew around us over time. For many people living in this overcrowded city can be an extremely lonely experience.

The phrase ‘social networks’ appeared many times in today’s lecture on resilience. It reminded me of Saagar. He was all about his friends. His life revolved around them. He was happiest when he was with them. After he left for university, he had officially flown the nest. His identity rested with his peers. Even when he complained about some of their characteristics, he went back to them.

Unfortunately the timing of his illness was such that he was home when all his friends had gone back to start their third year at university. They were physically away from him. He lost his tribe. He lost himself.