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> But it's a reminder of how fragile the social order is and how close we always are to its collapse. It makes me wonder if "civilization" really exists, or if
by Mtinie 12y ago
> But it's a reminder of how fragile the social order is and how close we always are to its collapse.
It makes me wonder if "civilization" really exists, or if we really are just small groups of self-centered "tribes" with sets of overlapping goals...until they aren't.
Fiction writers have made extensive use of this tenuous balance as a plot point. "Under the Dome" by Stephen King comes immediately to mind as one recent example. Once the "boundary" goes up, the town's social order falls apart surprisingly fast (within days, even though power, water, food, and services are still there).
- Lawtonfogle 12y ago>if we really are just small groups of self-centered "tribes" with sets of overlapping goals...until they aren't. Look at criminals, especially those who violate moral standards we hold as sacred. Each of us is only a good citizen as long as our goals align, though those goals can be more complex than they first appear (such as altruism).
- Mtinie 12y agoThat's a good point. I had been thinking about the "positive" outcomes of those overlapping concerns but you are right to point out that social mores are a very grey area.