if we stand on land, we have a common understanding, we take the land as a granted foundation for our existence, a granted condition that allows our interacting with one another. If we are at sea on a boat, we cannot take that foundation for granted, we know that the relation we form in the little community of our boat is necessary to prevent us from sinking. Undercommoning is to form a common bond that is necessary for us to hold on and avoid drowning.