Do you feel you owe society something?

[StrongInTheArm]

I'm in a thoughtful mood and I was wondering ...

Do you feel society owes you something or do you owe society? We wouldn't have the kind of lives that we do without the benefits that modern society bestows upon us but, sometimes I feel a little short-changed and I am not inclined to do my bit. How do you feel?

(And incidentally how do you define the edges of society; does it end at your county's borders, is it more local, or do you feel part of a global entity?)

[jdspc]

I tend to think universally...karma if you will...
What I put in, i get back...
Suffice it to say there are positives and negatives.

Society can fend for itself though...I have had about enough of the belly aching from most of them.
It seems most recently we have become an isolationist society, yet we want all of the benes of being a village...

But I have faith in them...this may just be a phase...Over-confidence and/or fear will separate, but most of us want community in the end.

A little less Starbucks, a little more wine...ya heard?

[Rankenstein]

I don't think either of those, fundamentally. I'm here by an accident of birth. I 'buy into' Englishness, because this is the country that gave my dad's family a home after WWII (they were from Poland originally, via Siberia thanks to the Russians) and gave him the chance to better himself. So, if you ask me, the UK is a great country. I don't give two hoots what anyone says about 'patriotism shouldn't be taught in school', they're wrong.
So maybe I owe society a kick up the pants to remind people that this is a bloody fantastic place to live, if you are prepared to 'play the game' and not hide behind the identity/culture of some foreign place. What's the point in that? You really ought to go back home if you miss it that much.

[mabel01]

I think I owe something to society though I cant honestly claim I truly do anything to repay the debt.

[zeruel]

I can't say... These days, all I hear on radio and tv are the corrupted government. Corruption here and there. No one wants to be left behind when it comes to stealing money from the government. I don't know if I would like to owe society something or just let it be what it is right now. I can't tell if I still want to contribute something for the society.

I'm confused.

[arcel]

hmm... nope...
can't think of any reason...

[jowsefpirate]

i dont know if I owe or the community owes me something....

[StrongInTheArm]

Originally Posted by jowsefpirate

i dont know if I owe or the community owes me something....

Wow, thanks, that really furthers my understanding.

Please, if that is all you have to say, keep it to yourself, its in your own interest not to look like a spammer.

[Atom]

Originally Posted by StrongInTheArm

... Do you feel society owes you something or do you owe society?

I feel that I owe society.

Originally Posted by StrongInTheArm

We wouldn't have the kind of lives that we do without the benefits that modern society bestows upon us but, sometimes I feel a little short-changed and I am not inclined to do my bit. How do you feel?

I don't feel short changed by society, I feel short changed by a portion of society called government (off topic: I thought that screwing was supposed to feel good ).

Originally Posted by StrongInTheArm

(And incidentally how do you define the edges of society; does it end at your county's borders, is it more local, or do you feel part of a global entity?)

For me it ends at the country's border, as opposed to the county's border.

[dee_el07]

Can't say..But what else do I owe society? I already pay taxes, social security and medicare each and every month, large part of my income really goes to my taxes and I don't even know if that money truly goes for the betterment of the government or they just corrupt that and we don't really know exactly where it goes.. What else do I owe?

[Atom]

I think we need to establish here that society is not government. Now if I am contrary to the purpose of the thread why, just correct me, Sita.

[StrongInTheArm]

No, I agree with you Atom, society means more than just the government. The government is just the head, but society does have a body and a tail.

[dee_el07]

Oh! sorry I misunderstood that!

Well anyway, society hasn't done much for me.. So I guess I don't owe them anything..

[Atom]

I think it's perfectly normal for a topic to diverge, I mainly wanted reassurance in Sita's take on society.

[Sama3l.]

i dont like society i like my small groups that i know im safe in... i get weird looks for how i dress ppl avoid me when i sit on the bus and meh lol im a really sweet guy deep down. i dont owe society a thing in fact i despise society its fooked up! social norms is just a posh way to justify how social leaders can discriminate other groups within the law, yet when other groups in society try to get the points across they get ASBOS.

[StrongInTheArm]

Originally Posted by Atom

I think it's perfectly normal for a topic to diverge, I mainly wanted reassurance in Sita's take on society.

I'm happy for any thread I start to go where it will as long as the posts contribute something to the discussion and are not just mindless nonsense. Feel reassured Atom, my use of the word was very general and all encompassing.

BTW ASBOS = Anti-social Behaviour Orders, a legal notice to offenders issued by the courts in the UK for the offenders to behave. Basically.

[Atom]

I'm not sure that my feelings are well founded, but I do feel I owe society something. The feeling is definitely present. I'm still thinking on the why.

[Atom]

Well I think it's due to the fact that I believe that humans are here for a spiritual purpose which I believe is a positive one. I don't know what that purpose is, or even if a singular purpose is a valid consideration, but I somehow feel obliged essentially, simply out of a respect possibly stemming from a sorrow of sorts that they are in precisely the same boat as I and everybody else.

[Atom]

But when I think society I generally think in terms of the society that is my country.