Personal responsibility/Social responsibility

[Lark]

Do you think that personal/individual responsibility and social responsibility are in competition with one another? Do you profess a belief in one but not the other? Can they or should they be harmonious ideas which compliment one another? How do you determine the limits or proper sphere of either idea?

 

[Red Memories]

*this is my reminder to return to this because I think this is a very interesting question but requires a longer answer than I can properly give at 11 PM at night*

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Do you think that personal/individual responsibility and social responsibility are in competition with one another?
In the U.S they certainly are, but that is because there is an extremist focus on the individual and there is a poor sense of proper boundaries.

Do you profess a belief in one but not the other?
I strongly value both in their proper spheres.

Can they or should they be harmonious ideas which compliment one another?
I think they can, but not when dysfunctional dynamics are the norm. In dysfunction, the sense of Self and Other is distorter so that there is an absence of negotiation and one will dominates the other. In the same manner these notions can be harmonious in the family unit, they can by extension be harmonious at the society level. The family is the microcosm of society. I hold a belief that the most healthy political systems for a given society can be found in the dynamics of its healthy family structures. In this way cultures that value and operate with extended family values will have more success with socialistic programs. Cultures that have more individual focus where family members are more distant but also allowed more variation in choices and values, will operate more successfully with Libertarian programs.

How do you determine the limits or proper sphere of either idea?
As I just mentioned there is a cultural element that establishes healthy, functional dynamics of Self and Other at the family unit. In addition there is a notion of public vs. private. We operate in these two spheres and I see modern society having low sense of healthy boundaries between the two. Spirituality and religion are within the private sphere, so when these ideas are imposed onto others sociologically, there is a dysfunctional boundary violation happening. The same is true of individual identity. When society attempts to impose a sense of self communally onto the individual, requiring or not allowing them to define self, a boundary has been crossed revealing dysfunction. The same is true of sexuality which is not shared with society as a whole, but is part of individual intimacy and privacy, and so that falls inside the personal boundary. Any sociological imposition on this choice is grossly dysfunctional.

Public issues involve the sharing of resources. National parks, roadways, education, medicine, utilities, etc. all involve society based cooperation. Policies need to accommodate larger diverse groups of people, so that maximum freedom can be insured for the most people. If there is shared space, shared usage, shared benefit, then we have a social responsibility to protect, regulate, and distribute at the social level.

 

[Red Memories]

Do you think that personal/individual responsibility and social responsibility are in competition with one another?: I do not think it should be a competition. I feel like it should be common sense. Nevertheless, I think the issue is that many people focus on their personal responsibility and not social repercussions. Everyone's individual idea may be different but the whole should be taken into account.

Do you profess a belief in one but not the other?: ...it is hard to imagine how you can deny either one existing in their own spheres. One is more focused on self-preservation and the other is focused more on the grounds of compassion and empathy. Which is on the short run around the world it seems.

Can they or should they be harmonious ideas which compliment one another?: I believe so. I think the easiest idea would be to acknowledge if you desire to protect yourself, to also put it in retrospect of wanting to be protected. In turn you can easily go okay I will do this or that for them since I'd expect them to do this for me.

How do you determine the limits or proper sphere of either idea?: When your choice of action actively injures another person unfairly I think that it crosses a line. For instance, if you can truly physically mentally and emotionally handle a mask, wear one. But also do not assume every person NOT wearing the mask is some trumper trying to kill grandma. Social responsibility is being willing at the least, to compromise to receive similar fair treatment. If you think in the sense of...me me me and me only then you are selfish, and there are unhealthy degrees of selfishness.

in some ways I feel like I don't know if I asnwered the questions well but I attempted it. XD

 

[Maou]

Individual responsibilty should come first, because you cant build a house roof first. Strength and resources start at home first. Those who can't even get personal responsibilities right, do not have the right to tell their community how to act.

 

[Dreamer]

In context to my own life and constant drive towards bettering myself, learning about myself and emotions more completely, recognizing my own strengths and weaknesses, etc., personal responsibility (removed from the meaning within this thread) is something I hold closely. I mention this because while I do believe in personal responsibility as it relates to the context of this thread topic, it is actually very much a natural inclination for me as it’s developed over time. How I view and interact internally is thus how my world view is constructed, and how I typically try to understand the people and world around me.

This isn’t to say that I disagree with social responsibility outright, but that I actually believe it arises from personal responsibility as more intrinsically connected in an organic fashion. This is all based on a basic belief that all humans share common purposes and goals in life, selfish to put it bluntly, but political leanings or whatever ideologies in my mind, is rather superficial.

People as a whole, as a community, IMO, grow and prosper as a collective of individuals all seeking to better understand themselves and the world through their own unique paths and wanderings in life. To seek positive outcomes via community, I feel, is a bit mechanical in nature, and wouldn’t allow for individual growth and development as one’s self is defined by community and not via internal investigation.

I’m being a bit simplistic in my world views but otherwise I could literally go on for pages here talking about the intricacies. To be honest, I’m not sure I made much sense here, I had SO many thoughts swirling around as I was typing this out. (Might come back later to clean this up)

 

[theablekingedgar]

both hold equal value.