When I’m with other people, I cannot behave like a nuisance, or there will be consequences. It’s only when I’m by myself in private that I don’t have to worry about nuisance behavior.
This is true with encountering people I never knew. My behavior would become a real nuisance if I go around the town up and visiting them for the heck of it; such as around other neighborhoods, places of business, unfamiliar places, etc. But what if I wasn’t satisfied with the people I know as friends? Suppose that’s not good enough? Then there’s a solution to this problem, whereas I meet people I don’t know, but not in the way that I just mentioned. Instead, I do something like join up for team sports, get a summer job where I work with other people, go to church, join after-school activities, and so forth. That way, I can meet new people and find ones I like. This is more successful through social capacities than at random.
Another thing I want to discuss is being in society and congregating with my friends. Now there are codes of behavior for me to follow if I want to join society; that is, join what’s going on in the nation and the lifestyles Americans live. Now when I interact with my friends, I care less about codes of behavior, although it’s for our own good. Just imagine what the consequences of violating the codes of behavior might be if this were to be the era before this nation won her independence from England, when we submitted to authority out of fear and the social policies were relentlessly harsh. Today, we’re not quite so harshly judged for disputing authority as back in colonial times. Back then, people were forced to attend church together, as religion was important. If anyone pulled the sin of gossip, the leaders gathered the public around and not only ridiculed him/her, but also dunked that person in the lake, which is public harassment. Now the city park is public and the neighborhood is a unit of society. If this were colonial times and I was dunked for gossiping, I wonder what stance would be taken by those who know me? Sure thing this doesn’t go on in society today, as I want to get in with the society of the people ecstatic over all my interactions. How would I ever take it if societal standards were the same as back in colonial times? And I don’t want legal trouble! That’s why I believe in the safety umbrella of mutual relations. Of course, the laws apply to each and every way of dealing with people. Now I see why my Mom & Dad discipline and condition me socially; so there will be no legal trouble. They emphasize good public behavior for I have to learn to fit in appropriately with society. That stern discipline is for the sake of society, but I find space under the safety umbrella. However, my parents also have the responsibility to see that I deal with each and every person the proper way. They won’t let me be a nuisance! Many places have dress codes for the sake of social mores.
