There is very little that we can’t find out about our world. The internet has made exploring the world really easy, if at times, too easy. This level of ease and having something delivered to us on a platter can be troublesome. We often get lazy and forget to do some of our everyday duties and responsibilities, some of which can be called chores.

It is not so for every person and in some communities, people invest an equal amount of effort, no matter their job. Such are the Amish, who have found ways to live with little to no technology for centuries. How have they managed to do so? Let us look at the history of the Amish to see how they live in the modern world and what makes them special.

Why Are The Amish So Adamant?

Unlike other communities or most other communities, the Amish hold true to their values and have kept true to them for many centuries. The origins of the Amish lie in the traditions of the 16th century Anabaptists, also known as Mennonites, who broke off from the Catholic Church.

These Mennonites have written rules, known as the Ordnung. These rules guide one on how to live their life, close to their deity and their loved ones. The religious and everyday practices were very similar.

The Mennonites were often persecuted and frowned upon, as they didn’t cooperate much with local state governments. This is why even early on, Mennonites would be living in rural areas rather than in cities where their differences would only be highlighted.

Mennonites had a ritual known as shunning, where they would shun a person who broke some of their rules until they would repent. Jakob Amman was a Mennonite leader in the 1690s, one who decided that shunning should be stricter and that their rules should also be stricter and enforced with more vigor. His followers became known as the Amish.

During Times of Duress, The Amish Had Each Other

Technology leads to commodities, which can then lead to otherworldly possessions which deviate too much from the Ordnung. This is troublesome for the Amish, who have learned to rely on each other in times of stress. Given their rural nature, they are often away from any towns or cities, and also away from any landline electricity and phones.

The Amish have learned to live with themselves and only themselves for a long time, which is why they do not find it difficult to not use technology, particularly if that technology could in some way tie them to a larger community.

Unlike most of the world, the Amish live by relatively strict rules and guides, something that they are taught from the cradle. It had been enough for multiple centuries, and probably will be for many more to come.