How much can society be trusted?

[idokaiho]

I find myself seeing the possible conspiracy or hidden motives in many things. I don't give these ideas much credence most of the time but they do give me a sense of unease with the workings of the world and my place in it. Some people are wrapped in a warm bundle of trust for their overseers and media outlets and corporations and people in general and I often envy them but at the same time see that they are enabling widespread injustice.

So, how much can we trust society and what do we even gain or sacrifice from our wariness?

 

[cakepurge51]

I believe society is a total waste to trust, since it's all a social complex built by our own minds. Society is created through a group of people's comfort levels that are relatively the same and it becomes a constructive, criticizing compressor on us all.

What we gain? Reputation, respect, if we follow along. Things that our mind believes are empowering, that we'll get something out of what we earn.

We sacrifice ourselves as a whole if we give up our emotions and mentality to a society construct. It's best to think on your own, act on your own, be on your own. Think your thoughts, feel your feelings, experience what happens through your own actions. It feels fresher that way, more clear.

 

[Analyzer]

Really depends on what your idea of what society is. I see society as just a collection of individuals cooperating with one another. As society is a collective concept, what it's based off depends on what the whole believes in.

I trust individuals but I cant really trust the concept of it's accumulation(society), too many variables and potential for sheepish behavior. The main thing we benefit from society are it's mechanisms for living such as systems of governance, economic laws, and a something for people to laugh at. When politics comes into the picture though which seems inevitable, it always screws things by exploiting everyone.

The notion of collectivism or basing society as a separate entity and something which is greater than the sum of it's parts, is dangerous as it neglects the fact that individuals are not omniscient of its workings. When bees create a hive, or termites a colony, do they think they are just replaceable parts of it's ongoing creation? These creatures are not going off of some top-down implemented system where there creation is seen as greater than themselves, rather they just build up spontaneously each contributing their own part. Without each termite or bee the emergent properties of their creations wouldn't come to fruition. Humans are the same way it seems like. You wouldn't say a ghost town is part of society as the individuals have disappeared.

 

[idokaiho]

I believe society is a total waste to trust, since it's all a social complex built by our own minds. Society is created through a group of people's comfort levels that are relatively the same and it becomes a constructive, criticizing compressor on us all.

What we gain? Reputation, respect, if we follow along. Things that our mind believes are empowering, that we'll get something out of what we earn.

We sacrifice ourselves as a whole if we give up our emotions and mentality to a society construct. It's best to think on your own, act on your own, be on your own. Think your thoughts, feel your feelings, experience what happens through your own actions. It feels fresher that way, more clear.

I detest some of the things society has produced, but it does produce. We would be just another animal if we didn't have society. Sure, you and me can live pretty independently but not everyone can submit so much control to themselves, they crave social input. Extreme conformity is definitely bad, no conformity might be worse.

edit: Well actually I've been thinking recently that the world might be better off if society/humans were never created. Countless habitats and organisms have been destroyed to fulfill our lifestyles. And we have in a way moved beyond our evolutionary systems of motivation. For instance, our amygdala responses usually no longer correlate proportionately to our perceived threats. How does this affect our judgement?

 

[idokaiho]

The notion of collectivism or basing society as a separate entity and something which is greater than the sum of it's parts, is dangerous as it neglects the fact that individuals are not omniscient of its workings.

Great point.

 

[StevenM]

Don't mind me, I'm a little out of my head...

May sound kind of 'sensor' of me, but when trying to figure out 'society' or at least the whole collection of people, I find it can't be comparable or evaluated in this way. It's better to step down a level, into the different 'groups' of people.

I'm guessing the group you're referring to is the people in control and authority, people making decisions for other people. This large group can be broken down into the groups that control your country, or the group controlling other countries. And even smaller, the group that oversees your local area, state or province etc.

Now I'm going to go on a tangent...

All together again, there is people who think for themselves, people who don't. People who are middle class, people who are just getting by. There are assholes, there are nicey-nices, and everything in between. Young people, middle aged, elder people. Critical, and naive. Sure, there are lots of people all herding like sheep, but there are others who's individuality would blow you away.

My moral I guess is, be careful not to overgeneralize.

 

[idokaiho]

You don't sound out of your head but sometimes the little guys can't really do anything when there are other guys with really but guns at least insofar as their immediate influence goes.