Individuals and Society

The Golden Rule: Treat others how you want to be treated

Humans are by nature social creatures. We don't live and work as individuals, but as groups. We work best when we work together. We function as a collective society. And in order to function successfully as a whole society, we must adhere to common standards of behaviour and respect- known as our civic duty.

"Civic duty," is what prevents people from littering. It prevents people from vandalizing public property. It allows for people to move around each other without running each other over, or sharing space on the train, or being courteous to complete strangers. In essence, it's the golden rule- treating others how you would like to be treated.

The only downside to this is that isn't mandatory or instinctive. It's voluntary. Because of that, there are people out there who litter, who vandalize property meant to be shared, who bump and run into others without notice, and who are simply not courteous to others. This is what is at the root of not only problems in our society, but problems for ourselves. Peoples' pet peeves or annoyances almost always stem from a lack of civic awareness and duty.

There are some times when individuals are individuals, and some times when individuals are members of a collective society. People need to realize when to distinguish between them and to act in ways that are respectful to everyone.  Unfortunately, this isn't taught in any class or required by law. Civic duty and the golden rule aren't enforced-they're just things that we rely on each other to do. Civic duty is the glue that keeps us together and the means of maintaining a successful society.