The higher the level of mutual responsibility in society, the more it can grow and expand. How to develop mutual responsibility in a post-industrial society?
Today's society worships selfishness. Each person manifests himself in the most egocentric way. This is clearly shown in the behavior of athletes, pop stars, politicians and even money magnates. This is true of social media behavior. However, a society that worships selfishness undermines the meaning of the term "society" . For a society to exist, it must focus on the social, not the individual. If it focuses on the latter, then it falls apart, which is what we are seeing all over the world today.
Social relationships can only exist when all parties recognize that they are mutually beneficial to each other , something they cannot achieve alone. The benefits must be large enough that individuals or societies can give up some of their independence in exchange for greater rewards, such as greater chances of survival, better parenting, or greater economic prosperity.
For this reason, a society whose idols are those who contribute to its cohesion strengthens itself and the well-being of its members. And vice versa, a society that idolizes people who are self-centered and often act contrary to the interests of society, cuts the branch on which it sits. Such a society will collapse sooner or later, because it does not meet the most basic requirement of society: mutual responsibility.
Once a group of people establishes a baseline of mutual responsibility, they can begin to build more complex structures such as clans, cities, and nations. The higher the level of mutual responsibility in a society, the more it can grow and expand.
However, maintaining mutual responsibility is difficult because human selfishness is not static but constantly evolving. Therefore, the education of mutual responsibility should be a permanent task of society. Otherwise it will collapse. Because we have neglected this for many decades, today we are witnessing a growing degree of disintegration and dissolution in society.
Humanity has reached a crossroads: it can continue to avoid cultivating mutual responsibility. But in order to rise above the growing selfishness, it must return to the cultivation of mutual responsibility until it becomes stronger than the current level of selfishness. If the society chooses the guarantee, it will reach such a level of cohesion that people will no longer feel separated from each other. They will reach a new level of intimacy, as if they were inseparable in their heart, in their soul.
Once they reach this level, the struggle that we see today between them will turn into an internal struggle with their own selfishness, which separates them from society. People will reach a completely different level of perception: they will experience unity on levels that they never thought existed.
This is where the current struggle between selfishness and mutual responsibility leads. It will end in one of two ways: unity or war.
It is alarming to think that issues will again be resolved by force. I would like to believe that reasonable people still find a common field for interaction. It is worth strengthening this.
Thank you.