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A New Virtue

There is a pseudo-virtue that I cannot help but see as necessary to make it through a successful workday. I don’t know what to call it except a collective mindset. Many tasks at any job can be done by one person but they are often time consuming and messy. If another person steps in the job runs smoother; we know this ad idiom, "two heads are better than one."

The ethic is not complicated but it contradicts a very American sentiment, individualism. Where I work, if one person fails to do something, everyone fails. If one person succeeds, likewise, everyone succeeds. Though not commonly perceived, such is life outside of work.

Independent of whether the society adapts the collective mindset, any single individual can have one making society a better place. I cannot consider this pseudo-ethic as a sane dictum of governance, I am a libertarian after all; though it would undoubtedly be pleasantly enculturated if each person took it upon him or herself to look after each other.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Chris! How are you. I've actually forgotten what line of work you're now in. But don't get too carried away with this collective mentality. I don't want you to move to Japan to work in human resources.
January 7, 2008 at 12:49 AM
Anonymous said…
Of course the government isn't supposed to have anything to do with collective mentality, that's the church's responsiblity. Any sort of benificial collectivism which people develop is necessarily voluntary and governments don't do voluntary.
January 8, 2008 at 8:51 PM
Chris Hoops said…
Hence: "I cannot consider this pseudo-ethic as a sane dictum of governance"
thanks for reading
January 9, 2008 at 3:24 PM
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