Is there a time when your hobbies or interests led you to a community of like-minded individuals?

Yes of course there is room for groups of like minded enthusiasts in a hobby or personal interest sense. However certain things such as politics I do believe we all benefit from exposure to a wide range of opinions - I would say on that moderate left or moderate right opinions are generally valid, I do think the extreme views on each side are usually from shuttered, daft people that can't appreciate each side of an argument - although maybe in that opinion myself I am being shuttered!