Ask Lemmy

The nihilistic energy of the early 2020s isn’t new but it has been front and center for awhile. I’m hoping it fades.

All the time. There are things many people do which cause me (and others) physical pain because of a medical condition. They don't mean to cause me harm, but because they have a mental model of everyone sharing similar abilities as themselves, it simply doesn't occur to them that the one small thing they're doing has negative consequences for others. It's a monkeysphere thing, it's nobody's fault.

I get past it by remembering that I am also incapable of remembering everyone's needs at all times. I'm sure there are many things I have done which seemed completely mundane at the time, but affected someone else negatively. No matter how hard I tried.

The people who still do things like casually block the entire sidewalk with a heavy rental e-bike still pisses me off. But, not for as long as it used to. And if it's something I can fix for someone else who can't, I'll try to do that too.

I also try hard to ensure I actively remember other people's needs where I can. If I can create less suffering, I think that's a good thing to try for.

I'm not witnessing this rampant disregard for the social contract. Most people pay their taxes, don't assault others, follow traffic laws, etc.

I guess there are examples like for example the mask thing during the pandemic. But we can have different opinions on what constitutes the social contract.

Maybe I believe I should only wear a mask when I'm sick. If I follow that protocol, in my mind I am still following the rules of the social contract. Someone who believes you should wear a mask 100% of the time may feel I am not following the social contract.

Some people would agree with the first and some with the second and others with something entirely different.

The real litmus test for me is the laws. The social contract isn't simply a morality / ethics thing. It's an agreement "you don't get in my way and I won't get in yours" and that's pretty much what has sparked our common laws.

Common courtesy and following the rules and situational awareness are not the same thing as "how will my choices affect the people around men in this moment."

We live in a society - George Costanza

I wish more people would engage with this at the cinema

You just described c/antiwork

Sure, but the rules are usually made by powerful people to support their power. And we follow them to avoid losing our jobs and becoming homeless.

We live in a mercenary society, and if you reject that you just become homeless in a mercenary society.

There might be some jobs that pay a living wage and are 100% socially positive, but there are not enough of them for most people to live their lives by social contract.

We live by corporate contract, or else we are homeless.

the notion that we all make minor sacrifices in our daily interactions in service of a “greater good” for everyone.

That's a talking point abusers and their supporters commonly use to convince victims to accept abuse and to continue to suffering.

No just society expects you to subordinate your unailenable right to defend yourself from violence, for example, but many states do, and they can and will arrest and imprison abuse victims for fighting back on those grounds.

Anyone who tells you to make sacrifices for the greater good is being immoral and should be ignored.

Greater goods do not require sacrifices.

A. That’s not what the social contract is, and 2. There is no social contract.