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There have already been some good answers to this question, but to answer from the asshole's perspective (read: mine,) helping your community is really about he
by bmelton 18y ago
There have already been some good answers to this question, but to answer from the asshole's perspective (read: mine,) helping your community is really about helping yourself.
Helping a sick neighbor hopefully helps to keep them from dying, which helps keep their house off the market, which helps to preserve your ability to sell -- nobody wants to buy on a street everybody's selling on.
Keeping the neighborhood clean preserves your property values, which is easier to see.
Looking out for your neighbors, or at least giving them the impression you are, means it's more likely they'll look out for you, which means they're more likely to investigate or call the cops when they see a prowler outside your home.
- gaius 18y agoThere's nothing wrong with enlightened self-interest. History shows that the systems that work work by aligning the interests of the individual with the community, economics, politics, society, it's all the same.
- Rod 18y agoI really like your perspective. It's pretty much the same as mine. Pragmatism über-alles, right? ;-) I have no problem with helping others, but I have a problem with being "pressured" to help others who may not be worthy of my time. If I am going to be forced to "help my community", the least I can do is profit from that.