Does making things compulsory often hurt rather than help?

There is an annoying strain of American self entitled white people that does not care for the General Welfare of society,and believes the rules apply to everyone else.

it is really a cultural thing. It does not happen elsewhere, and it does not happen in many American sub cultures.

Seat belts, helmets on motorcycles, no smoking indoors or around others, vaccinating kids, the list goes on and on.

A certain portion of the population has been encouraged to think that acting like a defiant child is a brave political ideology. Literally. I’ve known more than one person who won’t use turn signals, I think they literally feel Mommy over their shoulders and their attitude is, “I’ll show her! She can’t make me!”

Of course not. Stopping at a red light is compulsory as is wearing a seatbelt.

@zenvelo “There is an annoying strain of American self entitled white people that does not care for the General Welfare of society,and believes the rules apply to everyone else.” Are you talking about BLM and Antifa and all the protesters that have attacked cities for the past 6 months?

As for the question, it really depends on what is compulsory, I think. But in the end, I think what is missing is responsibility. If someone decides they want to ride their motorcycle without a helmet, more power to them. As long as they recognize that having an accident in that condition could easily result in horrible damage to themselves. When the government makes something “compulsory”, it is taking away freedom of choice AND the responsibility that goes along with that choice. And when the “compulsion” is about something that the government themselves changed their story on a number of times, it begins to look more like a power game than an actual effort to help. The question asked makes that clear. Initially the government was saying no masks, they don’t do any good and might actually make things worse. Then they turn around and say they can’t hurt. Then they turn around and say we ought to make masks mandatory! They say “follow the science!” but the scientific studies don’t support their demands for masks. The studies actually say the first two reactions from the government…they do nothing or, at best, they can’t hurt.
People also have a hard time following people they don’t trust. Most people don’t trust our elected officials as far as they could throw them. So to get “an order” from people that aren’t trusted tends to make people find ways to rebel a little (or a lot).

Making things mandatory means the people who have peer pressure to not do it can blame it on authority while still doing it. It gives them an out to do the right thing while saving face with the people in their group who are against it.

Like when there is a court order for medical treatment for a child who is dying, but the parents are against medical treatment for religious reasons. They can stay right with God and their religious circle, the parents objected, and with the court order their child gets saved.

Right now you have people equating masks with not believing in God. If there is a mask order they can complain, say they don’t believe in the masks, and still wear their mask, “because it’s not worth challenging it to just go in a store for an hour.”

If people would govern themselves they wouldn’t need the government to govern them, but it turns out some people want someone to tell them what to do.

Remember being a kid and you could say, “my mom won’t let me go,” when your friends wanted to do something you knew was a bad idea? People need to blame someone else sometimes to do the right thing.

I rather not have government mandates, but It seems we have to.

They don’t make the comparison @Caravanfan. They just aren’t that smart.

@zenvelo oh boy… If you think the hippie rebels are unique to white Americans, you can’t be so wrong. Here in my country those kinds of people have be a plague to the country for years. They spin around crazy conspiracy theories and demand the government to change “for the better”. They even want to abolish the government and anyone with authority because they are all “corrupted”, even when they are doing the right thing like demanding driving licenses from a traffic light violator. One really popular kind of videos on FB is the “argument with cops” one. Basically it’s an uncut home video detailing an argument between a civilian and a police officer, usually with the civilian being the proud winning side and the policeman being the low and wimpy one. I just don’t see any appeal of arguing with a policeman for hours on end over trivial matters.

Most worryingly, I’ve noticed an increase in this kind of attitude in children and teenagers. Sometimes I would come across an extremely entitled kid who would outright disrespect me if I’m easy on them, but would call me name and spread all kinds of rumors about me if I’m not so easy. There are now rants, “expose” videos… on teachers made by students who clearly refuse to acknowledge they are actually in the wrong. It doesn’t help that there is also a rise in “rebellious idols” who do nothing but speak profanity, share unhealthy life attitude, and cause havoc in public places. There is this famous Youtuber whose videos center around nothing but staged pranks on his own mother, and people are loving it.

Things like this make me worry for the future generation.

It is not the compulsory part that is the problem. The same people that bitch that wearing masks “takes away mah freedum” have no problem with the military, which is the biggest demander of compulsory behavior we have. They think that type of order following, which is compulsory actions doled out by the government, is good, especially when it happens with lots, and lots, and lots of American flags, and you get to hold a gun while you are following orders.

Mostly, people of some reasonable amount of intelligence are glad to follow safety orders, when they understand the facts and science behind why they are being compelled to take an action, or refrain from one.

The part where it gets sticky, is when one is compelled to start or stop doing an action that wasn’t compelled before, especially if it’s not fun, or inconvenient for them, personally.

@seawulf575 No, I am not talking about “BLM and Antifa and all the protesters”, because they aren’t the ones with silly arguments about compulsory health and safety rules.

I am talking about all the Karens and Beckys and people like you who think rules are for everyone else.

As far as not trusting politicians, we have had someone in the White House for almost four years that lies to the American people every single day.

@Mimishu1995 I am not talking about “hippies.” I am talking about what we used to call “yuppies”.

@zenvelo Possibly not, but they are the ones that see themselves as entitled, that don’t care about the General Welfare (especially when it comes to protesting and rioting), and they don’t believe the laws apply to themselves.

I have historically NOT trusted our government; however, after the liar-in-chief that has plagued us for the last 4 years, I’m looking at things with NEW EYES!!! I don’t like wearing a mask, but I also don’t like the idea of dying either…so I put on my mask!!! I hadn’t planned on taking the vaccine; however, after @Caravanfan answered some of our fears, I do feel safer. PLUS, now that our liar-in-chief is on his way out, I feel like we might begin to get some legitimate answers. I’m feeling much more open minded at this point. I’m hoping that taking the vaccine will mean that I can dump the damn mask!!!

The mask is to protect others @LadyMarissa, not yourself. If you care about other people you should continue to wear the mask. You can still be a carrier even if you don’t get sick because you were vaccinated.