In modern economic terms, subsistence living in small communities barely registers as existence at all.  However it is the way most of humanity lived for most of history.  And generally it seemed to be a satisfying way of life. We evolved to live in this way.<p>We think of people living in situations of subsistence as being unbearably impoverished and disadvantaged now.  We have no evidence that we are really any happier or more fulfilled than them.  We have longer life expectancy, and we spend much of it isolated and lonely and sick.