The Karass According to Vonnegut
Finding your tribe in the age of ultimate connectivity
One of my favourite aspects of Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle is the fake religion, Bokononism, followed by the people of San Lorenzo island. And within that religion, the concept of a Karass is one of the most compelling features.
A Karass is “a team that do God’s Will without ever discovering what they are doing”
Broadly speaking, people will drift into and out of your life, but you will always maintain a connection with a certain group, distinct from friendship groups or workmates, but all collaborating unknowingly in a greater plan.
Doesn’t that sound a little like the “tribe” that often gets quoted on Medium, as in “finding your tribe”. The difference is, I guess, that you recognise members of your tribe, by shared interests and background or mutual appreciation, whereas members of your Karass may be forever unknown to you.
Whenever I find the same person popping back up in my life unexpectedly, I start to suspect that he or she is a member of my Karass, and I start to pay a little more attention to their views and our interactions.
Yes, I’ve started treating it as a real religion, even though I know it just sprang from Vonnegut’s fertile mind. The reason is that it…
