Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Strnad
I think it's sad that so many people look to some outside force to determine their morality and their ethics. Maybe it's the government, going to arrest or fine them for misbehaving. Maybe it's God, going to punish them in the Hereafter. Maybe it's the Taliban, going to kill them for, I don't know, not wearing a burkha or some s**t. That's just sad, to me.
I would like to think that more people look at life and their behavior and society, etc., and make some internal choice to behave this way instead of that way, that they develop their own moral compass, that they at the very least follow some form of the golden rule, treating others as they would like to be treated.
Most people would like to be compensated in some way for their hard work, and authors are no different. I would like to think that most people would say to themselves, "If I spent six months or a year or ten years writing a book, would I want people to download it for free, or would I prefer that they pay me a few bucks?" and then act accordingly.
Apparently this level of empathy with others is far outweighed by self-centeredness in many people. Too bad, because this leads to a breakdown in the social contract, which leads to anarchy, in which these very same people find themselves the victims because somebody wants their stuff and has no qualms about taking it.
As much as we depend on police and such, the thing that really keeps us from behaving like a bunch of rabid monkeys is the social contract, which we willingly accept as being, ultimately, in our best interest. Because some people don't buy into the social contract is why we have police and courts and jails and guys named Cheech who break kneecaps with baseball bats.
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Well said and exactly on target.