One of my most frequent frustrations during the work commute involves people who hug the lane boundaries or cross them. Frequently, these people are distracted by cell phones, makeup, food, passengers, etc., and do not keep their eyes on the road. The trouble for me is that I'm minding my own business, and I do not really care to have them slam into my car and inconvenience everyone.
When we do anything in life, we assume that the rules apply. You decide to drive when the light turns green on the assumption that the people for whom the light is red will stop. You put goods in your cart based on the presumption that the price at the register will match the price on the shelf. You pay taxes because you don't mind doing your fair share as long as other people make the right contribution. Ordered civil society depends on the rule of law.
Laws, however, are not for the purpose we assume. People who break the laws we already have will not obey more laws. The laws really apply primarily to those who hold themselves accountable and responsible for their actions. The laws are kept by those who respect the law. As such, much law exists so that people who break them can be punished and kept away from doing harm to the people who keep the laws.
One of the greatest problems I see in the rising generation is that they lack propriety. They do not respect anyone, including themselves, or anything, including their own belongings. They want Authority without Responsibility, Wealth Without Work, Pleasure Without Conscience, Knowledge Without Character, Science Without Humanity, Religion Without Sacrifice and Politics Without Principle. They want to have it their way right away, and they think they are entitled to things simply because they exist.
The implications of this are widespread. They will be felt perhaps for generations, especially since they are incapable of instilling values into their posterity that they do not themselves possess. So, we will get a majority of people without respect for anyone else at least, and perhaps for anyone and anything whatsoever. For people who value civil society, this creates a problem.
Society depends on law and order. When the rules are subject to change without notice and kept from us, we are not likely to play or to play very well if we dare attempt it. We get involved because we're ok with the rules. We play Monopoly because there are a limited number of opportunities to Go to Jail, pay taxes, and suffer great expense by Chance. If they can change the number of cards and their text any time without warning, the game becomes difficult to survive, let alone win, and eventually good people will refuse to play. I make my decisions on the assumption that other people will maintain their lane, which is something to which they agree ostensibly when they obtain their license. The problem is that people plan according to what others tell them, so when you yank out the foundation on which they built their life and made decisions and you tell them the prior representations were fabrication and deception, you have wasted your life and theirs.
When we do anything in life, we assume that the rules apply. You decide to drive when the light turns green on the assumption that the people for whom the light is red will stop. You put goods in your cart based on the presumption that the price at the register will match the price on the shelf. You pay taxes because you don't mind doing your fair share as long as other people make the right contribution. Ordered civil society depends on the rule of law.
Laws, however, are not for the purpose we assume. People who break the laws we already have will not obey more laws. The laws really apply primarily to those who hold themselves accountable and responsible for their actions. The laws are kept by those who respect the law. As such, much law exists so that people who break them can be punished and kept away from doing harm to the people who keep the laws.
One of the greatest problems I see in the rising generation is that they lack propriety. They do not respect anyone, including themselves, or anything, including their own belongings. They want Authority without Responsibility, Wealth Without Work, Pleasure Without Conscience, Knowledge Without Character, Science Without Humanity, Religion Without Sacrifice and Politics Without Principle. They want to have it their way right away, and they think they are entitled to things simply because they exist.
The implications of this are widespread. They will be felt perhaps for generations, especially since they are incapable of instilling values into their posterity that they do not themselves possess. So, we will get a majority of people without respect for anyone else at least, and perhaps for anyone and anything whatsoever. For people who value civil society, this creates a problem.
Society depends on law and order. When the rules are subject to change without notice and kept from us, we are not likely to play or to play very well if we dare attempt it. We get involved because we're ok with the rules. We play Monopoly because there are a limited number of opportunities to Go to Jail, pay taxes, and suffer great expense by Chance. If they can change the number of cards and their text any time without warning, the game becomes difficult to survive, let alone win, and eventually good people will refuse to play. I make my decisions on the assumption that other people will maintain their lane, which is something to which they agree ostensibly when they obtain their license. The problem is that people plan according to what others tell them, so when you yank out the foundation on which they built their life and made decisions and you tell them the prior representations were fabrication and deception, you have wasted your life and theirs.
1 comment:
Once again, a big hearty Amen to the above. Well said.
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