Sorry for the rant. I started typing and this came out.
I understand the notion of controlling yourself or else others will control you. But I have issue with where this all stops. There is a fine line between living to be courteous and living your own life. If you find yourself in the midst of several neighbors who are triggered by anything outside of their immediate control, you will be living the life they want you to live if courtesy is the primary driver of your behavior.
You think wearing a face mask for COVID control is "insane" but as you know there are millions of fanatics who believe otherwise. Why is it ok to not be courteous to them (calling them insane) when being so will provide for peaceful coexistence? Because, IMO, it is really about values and not about laws. About respect of the individual leading to a courteous existence. Life is more uncomfortable the greater the divide in our values and the more comfortable the more our values are in alignment.
The question of the times is how do we come into better alignment on values when there is no overriding central motivator or common belief? For so many the government has replaced God/religion and personal responsibility. IMHO we should be working to identify the basic human needs and extrapolate them to encompass a humanistic philosophy that is totally inclusive and impossible to deny (not by law but rather by rational, natural logic). I think this approach gets to your "doing what we know to be right" comment in an agreed upon manner. Much thought on this has already been done, it needs a grassroots movement to get it established. I think there is a growing population that is willing to look at life amongst humans in a different way, a way with a long-term future. The ways of the world have changed. Whether we accept it or shape it is up to us but not for long.
Certainly true. The age of consumerism and globocap has produced individuals that care more about what they can get and how much power over others they can amass. In bygone times folks were more community oriented because community was NECESSARY for life, now you can go it alone if need be - shopping, Uber eats to the door, private transport, work from home, internet shopping, social media etc. all facilitates this separation. We don’t need others and have lost the ability to negotiate. Wokism and cancel culture has only sought to further this divide. Of course the problem arises when we don’t agree that the behaviour in question is causing any problem. But again ... this is where the ability to negotiate comes in useful. As the currently unfavourable writer, on accounts of his birthplace, says: “Every one is really responsible to all men for all men and for everything.” - Dostoyevsky.
Excellent point. I believe you got what I was trying to say. lol. Thanks! I have had tremendous success in just talking to people sometimes about the things they are doing that affects *all* of us. In most cases I found that the person didn't even realize they were affecting everyone by their behavior. It's a bit nerve wracking to do so, but in most cases if we state our case with humbleness and stay calm people "get it". I can't say it any other way: If people can't control themselves they will be controlled and that control usually ends up coming from the violence of the state. The more insane society becomes the more we literally just give government more power over our lives. Politicians are there for pretty much one reason: To make laws. And every time we can't control ourselves it plays right into their hands to pass another law or rule to tell us what we have to do. For me, it seems pretty simple: Try and do the right thing and you won't need someone with a gun to tell you to do what the government says is the right thing. When we need cops to police our behavior, things have really gone too far. (And they have IMHO) Thanks for contributing!
I completely agree, much of the masses lack all manners. The destruction of the nuclear family and fathers in the household I expect has a lot to do with that. Those first 5 years really matter, and mom and dad often have to set career aspirations aside for a bit. All that said, there's nothing like rolling coal out your Cummins on a Prius or BLM protesters. j/k great article
The perverse incentives that government creates are a vicious cycle that leads to this behavior, which in turn leads to more government controls. At least, that's the way I think about it! Good article. Thanks for sharing, and I think you are right! We can heal by leading the way with virtuous behavior.
Thanks Ms Monica. I may have oversimplified the issue a bit (because it's definitely a very complex issue), but as an older guy, I can still remember a society where people truly did attempt to be courteous to one another (for the most part). Communities would call out or shun those who were hard to live with. Now, most people just ignore bad behavior and "go along to get along" as long as they get to do whatever they want and everyone else be damned. I don't believe we have to give up anything we want to do to have amazing cohesive, kind and cooperative neighborhoods. In today's world, we seem to choose revenge instead. (My neighbor had a loud party that kept my family awake all night so I'm going to have an even louder one). Again... such a complex issue and I probably shouldn't have tackled it. Haha. I tend to open cans of worms. Thanks so much for being here.
I'd agree in principle. The rights of the individual are sovereign, but so are their responsibilities.
This is where I divert from your perspective.
The assumption that discourteous people will suddenly become respectful of the rights of others is naïve. To wish it so, is not reasonable, because our established elite class has brainwashed several generations to think that they are more important than anyone else.
To always appease the transgressor for their unthinking action begets more transgressions.
I seriously doubt anyone reading your substack is routinely in the Karen category, or the boom box on four wheels driving clique or even of the Instagram, TikTok self absorbed variety. Most likely they are already following the golden rule.
The question really is, how do we convince the infantile self absorbed to be better citizens, without big brother coercion?
Sorry for the rant. I started typing and this came out.
I understand the notion of controlling yourself or else others will control you. But I have issue with where this all stops. There is a fine line between living to be courteous and living your own life. If you find yourself in the midst of several neighbors who are triggered by anything outside of their immediate control, you will be living the life they want you to live if courtesy is the primary driver of your behavior.
You think wearing a face mask for COVID control is "insane" but as you know there are millions of fanatics who believe otherwise. Why is it ok to not be courteous to them (calling them insane) when being so will provide for peaceful coexistence? Because, IMO, it is really about values and not about laws. About respect of the individual leading to a courteous existence. Life is more uncomfortable the greater the divide in our values and the more comfortable the more our values are in alignment.
The question of the times is how do we come into better alignment on values when there is no overriding central motivator or common belief? For so many the government has replaced God/religion and personal responsibility. IMHO we should be working to identify the basic human needs and extrapolate them to encompass a humanistic philosophy that is totally inclusive and impossible to deny (not by law but rather by rational, natural logic). I think this approach gets to your "doing what we know to be right" comment in an agreed upon manner. Much thought on this has already been done, it needs a grassroots movement to get it established. I think there is a growing population that is willing to look at life amongst humans in a different way, a way with a long-term future. The ways of the world have changed. Whether we accept it or shape it is up to us but not for long.
Certainly true. The age of consumerism and globocap has produced individuals that care more about what they can get and how much power over others they can amass. In bygone times folks were more community oriented because community was NECESSARY for life, now you can go it alone if need be - shopping, Uber eats to the door, private transport, work from home, internet shopping, social media etc. all facilitates this separation. We don’t need others and have lost the ability to negotiate. Wokism and cancel culture has only sought to further this divide. Of course the problem arises when we don’t agree that the behaviour in question is causing any problem. But again ... this is where the ability to negotiate comes in useful. As the currently unfavourable writer, on accounts of his birthplace, says: “Every one is really responsible to all men for all men and for everything.” - Dostoyevsky.
Excellent point. I believe you got what I was trying to say. lol. Thanks! I have had tremendous success in just talking to people sometimes about the things they are doing that affects *all* of us. In most cases I found that the person didn't even realize they were affecting everyone by their behavior. It's a bit nerve wracking to do so, but in most cases if we state our case with humbleness and stay calm people "get it". I can't say it any other way: If people can't control themselves they will be controlled and that control usually ends up coming from the violence of the state. The more insane society becomes the more we literally just give government more power over our lives. Politicians are there for pretty much one reason: To make laws. And every time we can't control ourselves it plays right into their hands to pass another law or rule to tell us what we have to do. For me, it seems pretty simple: Try and do the right thing and you won't need someone with a gun to tell you to do what the government says is the right thing. When we need cops to police our behavior, things have really gone too far. (And they have IMHO) Thanks for contributing!
I completely agree, much of the masses lack all manners. The destruction of the nuclear family and fathers in the household I expect has a lot to do with that. Those first 5 years really matter, and mom and dad often have to set career aspirations aside for a bit. All that said, there's nothing like rolling coal out your Cummins on a Prius or BLM protesters. j/k great article
The perverse incentives that government creates are a vicious cycle that leads to this behavior, which in turn leads to more government controls. At least, that's the way I think about it! Good article. Thanks for sharing, and I think you are right! We can heal by leading the way with virtuous behavior.
Thanks Ms Monica. I may have oversimplified the issue a bit (because it's definitely a very complex issue), but as an older guy, I can still remember a society where people truly did attempt to be courteous to one another (for the most part). Communities would call out or shun those who were hard to live with. Now, most people just ignore bad behavior and "go along to get along" as long as they get to do whatever they want and everyone else be damned. I don't believe we have to give up anything we want to do to have amazing cohesive, kind and cooperative neighborhoods. In today's world, we seem to choose revenge instead. (My neighbor had a loud party that kept my family awake all night so I'm going to have an even louder one). Again... such a complex issue and I probably shouldn't have tackled it. Haha. I tend to open cans of worms. Thanks so much for being here.
I'd agree in principle. The rights of the individual are sovereign, but so are their responsibilities.
This is where I divert from your perspective.
The assumption that discourteous people will suddenly become respectful of the rights of others is naïve. To wish it so, is not reasonable, because our established elite class has brainwashed several generations to think that they are more important than anyone else.
To always appease the transgressor for their unthinking action begets more transgressions.
I seriously doubt anyone reading your substack is routinely in the Karen category, or the boom box on four wheels driving clique or even of the Instagram, TikTok self absorbed variety. Most likely they are already following the golden rule.
The question really is, how do we convince the infantile self absorbed to be better citizens, without big brother coercion?