Why autonomy? What benefits are there in being self-reliant? Humans are gregarious animals, dependent upon members of their tribe for care, cooperation, and companionship. There are too many benefits of living and working together to not take advantage of this innate sense of schooling. Survival depends upon a certain degree of cooperation.

Since cooperation is so beneficial, what is the problem with the course we are on? Why not be totally dependent for everything? This is where we have to begin to weigh the pros and the cons and look at the big picture. Say we’re all in one big boat and the boat sinks. What are the chances for our survival? What are the advantages of being in one big boat, or many small boats?

If you’re the captain of the big boat, you certainly have a lot of responsibility. Suppose you have an agenda and a destination, but no one else is very keen to go there. Suppose you’re a passenger on the promenade deck living the good life. Why care until you get there? Suppose you’re shoveling coal in the engine. You’ll be happy to reach any destination.

The course we are on is one of reckless abandon. We depend upon trade for essentials. We depend upon government to control everything, teach our children, build our roads, protect our boundaries, protect our rights, punish law breakers, and on goes the list. There is hardly a sense of community. We live in our cocoons and hope for the best.

Building umPODS and autonomous communities is a way to gain some independence. If you are free from big government, big business, mass infrastructure, global economies, and all the things that can go down with the ship, but you still have a sustainable existence, then you have control of your life. You have freedom.