Social distancing needs sinners to enforce it.

[Cateran]

What a stushie about keeping your distance and obeying the rules. When somebody goes too far we are indignant. Those ignoring social spacing come in for a lot of flack in Heath Unlocked. Much energy in these pages is expanded with with the rule breakers. It is called moral disengagement, a mechanism which convinces the perpetrator that ethical behaviour does not apply to him or her. This is also another form of distancing, keeping apart from moral proximity or consideration for others. So sinners in this context of corona virus, means that the mechanism of self-examination is disabled, switched off. The perps do not see themselves as sinners. Moral policing kicks in for those obeying the rules. There was a stushie some time ago in HH pages, about blue badge police, people who take it on themselves to correct folk who seem to be breaking the rules by not displaying a blue badge permit. Sinners in their eyes. But a lot of folk here rightly pointed out that they were not guilty but instead had invisible disabilities, such as lung problems and other illnesses. So, who are the wrongdoers in the social distancing debate? Is it always obvious?

[2greys]

Maybe not obvious with strangers but most of what is said here is about neibours or people who are known to them, not a solitary total stranger. We all understand about invisible disabilities having at least one ourselves. Believe me, when you live in a block of flats you know very well when somebody is having a party. Quite a regular occurrence here, even when we are all supposed to be socially distancing.

[Cateran in reply to 2greys]

It must be very irritating if you are on the receiving end of noisy parties 2greys. Do you live in a block of flats? Moral proximity may be tested in that case,as well as physical proximity, but both are highly charged with meaning where being anti-social is a factor. I once lived in a tenement in Edinburgh where the opposite flat to us across the staircase was, shall we put it, a house of ill-repute. You can imagine the almost nightly shenanigans and rows and coming and going which took place, so there the particular lack of moral regard for neighbours was a way of life or business, so to speak. When I banged on the door to complain I was usually met with abuse or threatening behaviour, or even my wife as well. Boy, did we go through it. Hell is other people as Sartre wrote.

[2greys in reply to Cateran]

Yes, we live in a block of flats, with tenants of ill repute, who as you say are neighbours from hell.

[Wullie2009]

It is a changed world. Time methinks to evolve and encompass Millenium thinking. Many, particularly those of us who have been around for over half a century, were brought up and influenced differently.

Was not smoking a way of life, schools had assemblies every morning with a Christian teaching for the day; when we were allowed a day of rest each week which suited our Christian way of life? Bank Holidays were not just days of calmness for workers; further, all businesses closed, the Bank Holidays themselves aligned to Christian Festivals.

My apologies to all from a differing background but the culture of our indigenous society was Christian based.

The now is seven days of continuous flowing traffic; in fact, it even travels through the night. We can count the effective Bank Holidays of the closure of businesses to half of one hand. Almost forgot we now have twenty-four hours of television and media influencing every day too.

Rather like the language of our society or culture has evolved as well. We had reasonably active words for our young, words like child or children. Today our young are called young goats, "kids", American slang. Not one of my favourite words, I have to admit. I still don't call either my children or grandchildren young goats; mind you most other folks do.

As for the word "sinner", it is no longer a word in use. It does appear in a now somewhat historical and rarely used book called The Bible. And there it stays.

Society contains simply just two types of people. The one type is mindful of others, conscious of the community. The second type, even though we have become a global community, has an interest or care for nought but self.

Those of us who are mindful notice the garbage strewn around, act in a way that shows care about the community, choosing to try and prevent the spread of illness.

Then we have others who are more content to throw more garbage in their wake and perpetuate illness that extends further into the community for even longer. While it may be more damaging, it is a way of life that some choose.

Fortunately, we can choose to be mindful observers, and assist the community in our way to contain, then help reduce the spread of illness. I would prefer our global community to heal as early as possible, the more of us who care will bring this about. Berating and judging others is not a mindset of healing.

Blessings

[SORRELHIPPO in reply to Wullie2009]

An interesting debate, from my childhood, "he who is without sin, cast the first stone". It does make those who obey rules, feel extra smug, when seeing others break them.

[Cateran in reply to Wullie2009]

I am not sure about the message of your post Wullie. If you are endorsing or welcoming evolution of the social sort then is your mindset progressive and liberal? Or do you regret some of the Millennial changes on which you comment, especially modern morals and behaviour ? Is your outlook still religious and Christian? I do not wish to appear intrusive of your private thinking nor censorious, and I am curious about your avatar. You sound Scottish, or am I jumping the gun here? I am proudly Caledonian, by the way, and thank you for responding to my post in such a heartfelt way.

[Kristicats]

stushie....