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Yes rush hour driving (and many other modern behaviors) is a form of collective insanity, however this behavior is individually completely rational. So each ind

Yes rush hour driving (and many other modern behaviors) is a form of collective insanity, however this behavior is individually completely rational. So each individual is doing a great job maximizing their own utility, yet the result tends to be totally unoptimal. Western countries appear more and more dysfunctional as an emerging result of their citizens inability to collectively take action. The illness is not in the mind, its between the minds. It is a social illness.

trophycase 8y ago
> Western countries appear more and more dysfunctional as an emerging result of their citizens inability to collectively take action Well said. I feel like people have slowly been taught to fear standing up for themselves.
- duncanriach 8y ago
  I think that people in general, at all times, tend to follow the crowd. They tend to buy what everyone else is buying and sell what everyone else is selling. They tend to do what everyone else is doing, even though, usually, it doesn't serve them.
- adrianN 8y ago
  I think people stand up for themselves just fine, they just have a hard time standing up for others.
  - noobermin 8y ago
    The thing is it isn't that we need to stand up for others, but by standing together that we can alleviate society's ills, including our own on a personal scale.
duncanriach 8y ago
I think that there is a lot of collective insanity going on that also affects the actions of individuals. The actions of individuals are driven by emotions and by beliefs that are held in place by emotions. Decisions are pre- and post-rationalized. Most behavior, whether individual or collective is non-optimal and usually does not maximize utility in any sense.
lostmsu 8y ago
I fail to see how this is a western-specific problem.
- tim333 8y ago
  Indeed, rush hour in Mumbai isn't fun. Also in London the majority probably use public transport for what that's worth.

trophycase 8y ago

> Western countries appear more and more dysfunctional as an emerging result of their citizens inability to collectively take action Well said. I feel like people have slowly been taught to fear standing up for themselves.

duncanriach 8y ago
I think that people in general, at all times, tend to follow the crowd. They tend to buy what everyone else is buying and sell what everyone else is selling. They tend to do what everyone else is doing, even though, usually, it doesn't serve them.
adrianN 8y ago
I think people stand up for themselves just fine, they just have a hard time standing up for others.
- noobermin 8y ago
  The thing is it isn't that we need to stand up for others, but by standing together that we can alleviate society's ills, including our own on a personal scale.

duncanriach 8y ago

I think that there is a lot of collective insanity going on that also affects the actions of individuals. The actions of individuals are driven by emotions and by beliefs that are held in place by emotions. Decisions are pre- and post-rationalized. Most behavior, whether individual or collective is non-optimal and usually does not maximize utility in any sense.

lostmsu 8y ago

I fail to see how this is a western-specific problem.

tim333 8y ago
Indeed, rush hour in Mumbai isn't fun. Also in London the majority probably use public transport for what that's worth.