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You give up a measure of control and privacy.  Decisions that are normally under one’s own control, such as when and what color to paint the house, and when (or even if) to mow the lawn, are now consensus decisions.  At its best, a consensus decision reflects a collective wisdom that benefits everyone.  At its worst, you end up spending a lot of time talking about something you don’t want to spend very much time talking about, and you still don’t get what you want.

Another downside is that if you don’t get along with someone, it’s harder to get away. But at the same time, given sufficient time and work, you may find out that person actually has a lot to offer you.  There are no guarantees, of course.

It has been said that, “A persistent feature of community is the presence of members who are a thorn in the side of the other members.  It is because it is a community that it can contain them.”  It’s rather like having your extended family around all the time – positive in many ways, challenging in others, and not on your timeline.

Thanks to Cascadia Commons for these ideas.