Reading some political blogs this morning I came across this post on 11D. It started a train of thought with me that I thought I should enlarge on here:
This (difficult economic period/period of international unrest) is definitely not a time for us to retreat into our own homes/bunkers. We will find this whole thing much more survivable if we can learn to really be communities again. Even things as simple as two families going to a warehouse type store together and splitting the stuff that is in too big of a package for one family but is cheaper bought in bulk, make a difference but they also add a level of perceived complexity and inconvenience that most of us are not willing to subject ourselves to…
Subject ourselves to…
Isn’t that the problem? Aren’t we enthusiastic about the concept of community until it gets in the way of the things we had planned for ourselves? Community does not work if we are all always dedicated to our own needs and desires over those of other community members. John Stuart Mill was wrong when he said “The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited; he must not make himself a nuisance to other people. ” In order for community to truly exist among a group of people we must do much more than not make nusiances of ourselves, we must actively promote the good of the whole community even when that good does not appear to do us personally any benefit.
This is hard. In many ways human beings are essentially selfish and putting the good of others before ourselves is a daunting task. We do it (and I think do it more than we realize), but to do it day after day for people whom we do not like or who somehow get under our skin takes vision and grace. In the end though it does pay off. In the end we find that there is much value in the whole community accomplishing things together and we find that we are happier in a village with all of its discomforts than we would be alone in a the most luxurious bunker.