Re-post: "Most people are idiots." - Oct 05
From Saturday, October 22, 2005
This is paraphrased from a blog comment I received earlier today and it took me off on an interesting train of thought, so I thought I'd blog it.
Many laws, rules, regulations and provisions are put in place on the grounds that 'most people are idiots', the presumption being that the few have to think for the many, because the many are incapable of making good decisions.
On this basis, we have government health warnings and health programmes, traffic regulations, heaps and mounds of red tape, and the list is endless.
My opinion is that if a decision-making capacity is removed or over-ridden, the masses will slowly stop thinking - like flaccid muscles, the function starts to disintegrate. On the other hand, when left to their own devices I think most people would make good choices - because the instinct of life is to survive, prosper and multiply and bad decisions go against this force.
A healthy society needs to take the risk of allowing people the freedom to make whatever decisions they see fit, and shouldering the resulting consequences.
posted by Gill at 3:00 PM 10 comments
This is paraphrased from a blog comment I received earlier today and it took me off on an interesting train of thought, so I thought I'd blog it.
Many laws, rules, regulations and provisions are put in place on the grounds that 'most people are idiots', the presumption being that the few have to think for the many, because the many are incapable of making good decisions.
On this basis, we have government health warnings and health programmes, traffic regulations, heaps and mounds of red tape, and the list is endless.
My opinion is that if a decision-making capacity is removed or over-ridden, the masses will slowly stop thinking - like flaccid muscles, the function starts to disintegrate. On the other hand, when left to their own devices I think most people would make good choices - because the instinct of life is to survive, prosper and multiply and bad decisions go against this force.
A healthy society needs to take the risk of allowing people the freedom to make whatever decisions they see fit, and shouldering the resulting consequences.
posted by Gill at 3:00 PM 10 comments
posted by Gill at 7:48 am
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