The world of rules. (Week 310)

Extremes are always bad; they lead to excess on the part of someone, be it one person or many, and at the same time, it is difficult to find the middle ground.

I often think about this and come to the conclusion that human nature is complicated. For example, freedom is necessary, but if no limits are set, chaos can reign in many forms.

There is a huge difference between my grandparents’ time and the present day, a vast difference. Life used to be very strict, or at least that is how my family experienced it: clearly defined boundaries, not only in terms of morality and good manners but also in terms of norms and rules, which did not even need to be written down; they were often taken for granted. Respect for them was paramount. Order prevailed more, although I think many took it to extremes.

Today, it seems there is neither one nor the other; boundaries are not defined, and many do not even care if they harm others. Consequently, chaos reigns in many respects, and it is hard to see where society as a whole is heading. It is as if the motto ‘every man for himself’ were in force.

For many reasons, going to extremes is not good; as Aristotle said, it is necessary to find the golden mean between the two extremes. It seems that this is not easy.

If I consider that norms are more general and flexible, shaped or established by morality and traditions, rules are something more firmly established by governments; the danger lies in the fact that, throughout history, governments have shown that the rules they establish often harm citizens in one way or another, to the benefit of those in power.

Are norms necessary? Yes, for respectful coexistence, where every human being takes others into account, norms that are accepted by all and that foster coexistence in harmony, peace, respect and kindness. But I believe that even that has been lost today, and it is clearly visible on the streets.

But when it comes to rules, the matter changes, because depending on who holds power, the rules can be one way or another; they can be abusive, enforced authoritatively to the point of dictatorship, detrimental to human beings, forcing them to do things that violate their freedom when they have done nothing wrong according to the norms of social coexistence.

And it seems that when someone comes to power, it acts as something that takes hold of the individual, transforms them and turns them against the rest of society, prioritising personal interests and ensuring that nothing else matters. Perhaps power transforms the people in government, or perhaps they were always like that and having power simply gives them the ability to do to others what they previously could not. Rules, depending on who dictates them, can be dangerous.

They can take away the freedom to express oneself, even respectfully, to move about freely, to have control over one’s own body, and even to make decisions that affect one’s own life. This has been done many times, under the pretext that the government is looking after people. Is it looking after people, or is it subjugating them?

It is such a controversial issue, where many may hold differing views. Perhaps it is a utopian ideal, but if societies were to adhere to standards, not rules, but standards, perhaps there would be no need for those governments that can turn against the people. Ever since man has been man, there have always been leaders, but as extremes are never good, the existence of such a leader can steer society in opposite directions.

For all these reasons, I would prefer a world without rules or governments, but one that always adheres to standards. It is not a simple matter, as in certain áreas, such as work, sport and others, specific rules are necessary; otherwise, everyone would do as they pleased. It is a subject as complicated as human nature itself. I think what I’d like is just that… a utopia, a world where everyone acted correctly, with values and principles towards themselves and others. But practice shows otherwise, unfortunately.

I thought I’d have to turn to Hitler to answer this question, but he wasn’t the right person to ask, as he didn’t value life, an ageold principle. I preferred to talk about what my inner self would like. Thank you @galenkp for these weekend topics, which give us the chance to reflect and interact by exchanging views.