3 ms·

Reality and I have had a pretty tough relationship, I'll concede that. I think my problem is that I've often seen the other way around - that peoples' behaviors

Reality and I have had a pretty tough relationship, I'll concede that. I think my problem is that I've often seen the other way around - that peoples' behaviors modify the laws. I'm sure quite a bit could be written on that about Donald Trump who is currently in a trial that everyone knows cannot enforce any consequences to him, but for me I think the real moment it came apart was during the pandemic when I was struggling through some bureaucracy to update my car registration. I had the thought that I couldn't believe that the people who refuse to put on a mask to get groceries or whatever actually go do the nonsense that I was trying to get through right then. In contrast, covering your face with a piece of paper seemed really trivial, and yet to so many it was an affront to their identity, and so the mask mandates were ultimately rendered toothless.

llamaimperative 2y ago
You’re definitely onto something there. I highly recommend the book The Metaphysical Club which follows a specific group of thinkers (the Pragmatists) who formed much of the foundation of American legal theory. The TLDR: Every legal system is governed primarily by the “moral culture” and constructed to defend/enact/perpetuate that culture. When the moral culture changes enough, the laws will change (or the interpretation or application of the laws for the same de facto effect). So the question for all of us is how to steer the moral culture in preferred directions, which is why I was calling out your initial comment! It’s not good for people to come to the belief that laws don’t matter — such a belief is self-fulfilling at certain scale.