The Amish community is far from the daily worries and troubles of the 21st century, it is true that they already live in the 17th century.
The living conditions, expectations, and comfort areas of the whole world are changing rapidly; what a catch! Even when we look back twenty years ago, the phones we use, the technology used by the workplaces, and even the habits we maintain in our social lives were very different. Due to Covid-19, many workplaces continued their university meetings and lectures on zoom and similar platforms. What if we were going through this process in 2000? While we adapt to this rapid change without being aware of it and without resistance, some deliberately distance themselves from this change. For example, the Amish Community.
The Amish community currently lives in 28 states of the USA and parts of Canada. You may be familiar with this community that I will talk about from some of the movies you may have watched; Actually, the difference starts right here. The movies are about old American towns. The Amish community, on the other hand, is bringing the past to the present and creating a world of their own. In the world they built, the 17th century continues from head to toe!
Perhaps some of you may think that the Amish community complicates their own lives while living with what the modern world brings is easy. But the Amish think their choices are much safer and easier. Underneath their mentality lies the thought that when they accept innovations, their family relations and the social structure they have established will deteriorate.
How long can they live by closing their doors to innovations, I seem to hear the question! There are no cars for them; If you want to go somewhere, there is a bicycle or a horse carriage. Not to mention that they probably don't use phones or the internet. There is only one phone in each community and it is only used when there is an emergency. As you can imagine, they don't go to the doctor, they apply natural remedies when they get sick. They earn their living by farming, animal husbandry, or carpentry. Perfect for the 17th century!
If you look around, there are probably huge differences between your grandfather's youth, childhood, and yours; we even call the communication problems arising from this situation generation conflict. In the Amish community, this is never the case! As his grandfather lived, so does his grandson. Whatever education his grandfather received, whatever job he did, even according to which tradition he married, his grandson goes through these processes and experiences the same.
The most visible thing about the Amish community is that; They live in a very closed society. Marriages are made within themselves, it is strictly forbidden to marry someone outside the community and to divorce the person they marry. Speaking of marriage, they have their own traditions about it too; For example, if a man does not have a mustache and has a long beard in this community, it means that he is married. Beard is like an identity for them, showing their marital status.
In fact, they are not just anti-innovation; They literally made up their own rules. Although they generally live in the USA and Canada, the language they use is not English; They use a dialect of German. They think that they live quite freely according to their point of view in the society they have formed with their own rules. No matter how ordinary and simple life they think they lead, they have a very interesting life for us; As a result, they are met with intense tourist interest. As you can see, the Amish community is far from the daily worries and troubles of the 21st century, it is true that they already live in the 17th century.