In this blog post, we will look at why living by community norms is beneficial for the individual in the long run through group activities and examples from everyday life.
We are faced with a choice at every moment in our lives. Sometimes we make the choice that is most beneficial to ourselves, regardless of others, and sometimes we make a conscientious choice even if it is to our detriment. So, is there a reason to make the right choice at the expense of suffering in these various moments of choice? In other words, why should we live correctly?
Of course, there is no single standard for “rightness.” However, in this article, rightness is defined as following the norms set by society. Conscience is formed through learning, and we have been taught to follow the norms since childhood. In other words, the right act of following the norms is following the learned conscience.
If protecting one’s conscience does not conflict with one’s personal interests, then one should naturally act according to one’s conscience. However, as mentioned earlier, we sometimes have to choose between living right and protecting one’s conscience. A typical example is group work that students cannot avoid. In group work, there comes a moment when you have to choose between “cooperate or free-ride.” The essence of group work is that all members must cooperate with each other in accordance with the rules. However, group work is generally hard work, so it may be more profitable for individuals to do nothing and reap the rewards, i.e. free-riding.
Let’s assume that the process of group work is cooperation and free-riding, and the results are simplified into good grades and bad grades. Usually, the grade of a group work is determined by the result of the group, so even if I free-ride, if the group’s grade is good, I will also receive a good grade. At this point, choosing cooperation is following one’s conscience, and free-riding is choosing the method that is most beneficial to oneself. When considering only personal interests, free-riding may be more attractive than cooperation.
But what about the whole group? If some members choose to free-ride, the others who choose to cooperate must bear the burden. Of course, it is much more efficient and the results will be better if everyone cooperates.
So, why should I give up my personal interests and choose the interests of the group? It is because the success of the group will lead to my success. If the group’s results are good, then my grades will be good. Conversely, if I choose to ride the coattails and the other group members pursue their own interests, the group will collapse, there will be no results, and my grades will suffer. On the surface, free riding seems like a benefit to the individual, but in reality, maintaining the group is also beneficial to me in the long run.
This applies from a collective and long-term perspective. From an extremely individual and short-term perspective, it is easy to think that free riding is the most profitable way. In particular, in the absence of sanctions, people usually choose to take immediate advantage. Therefore, a system is needed to prevent free-riding. The current method of grading students based on the results of their exams only encourages free-riding because those who cooperate and those who free-ride receive the same grade.
Ultimately, a good way to prevent free-riding is to give individual grades based on the degree of cooperation in group activities. To this end, it is a good idea to have each person write a report on their contribution and grade them based on this. Then, no matter how good the group’s results are, those who did not cooperate cannot write their contribution in the report and receive a good grade. This method will motivate the members to cooperate, and if everyone cooperates, the results of the group will be better. Therefore, all members of the group can achieve better results.
Of course, this method may be somewhat coercive, and it may conflict with the purpose of group activities, which emphasize voluntary cooperation. However, it is fair to prevent those who do not participate from receiving good grades. In addition, by imposing a certain degree of coercion, group activities can be an opportunity to learn cooperation and collaboration. Even if someone is forced to cooperate in a group because they do not want to receive a low grade, it is not a worse situation than creating a product that everyone has worked on diligently.
In short, group work can achieve the best results when all members cooperate, and this will lead to good grades. The most important factor for the best group work is everyone’s cooperation. If all members follow the rules and cooperate, I can be guaranteed that the group’s results will be good if I just do my part.
This principle applies to society as a whole. We must live correctly for the benefit of the community and for our own personal benefit. For example, if I line up at a bus stop, others will line up as well, and I will be guaranteed to be able to take the bus when it comes around. This way, the community is maintained and we can all live together in harmony.
Of course, it would be great if people voluntarily followed the rules for the good of the community, but in reality, without sanctions, many people are more likely to pursue immediate benefits. That’s why society forces people to live correctly. Morality is taught from an early age, and laws are enacted to punish those who break them. As a result, most people act according to their conscience and live by the law. We are quiet in the library, do not litter on the streets, and do not break the law. We also do not commit crimes or use violence to avoid legal punishment. Society has maintained its community through such conscience education and the law, and this community has been maintained today because we have lived by the norms. Thanks to this, we can go to the library to study in peace and not have to worry about who might steal our property.
Of course, depending on the situation, cutting in line or free riding may seem like a benefit in the short term. But if I cut in line or free ride, others will follow suit, and the community will eventually become difficult to maintain. The next time I take the bus, the people behind me will try to cut in line, and if free-riding is taken for granted in group activities, I may have to take on the group activity of an important subject alone. Living correctly by following the rules we have set is the way to maintain a community and is also beneficial for the individual in the long run. This is because the individual can lead a stable life when the community is maintained.
In conclusion, we have a reason to live correctly by following the established norms while living with others. We can maintain a community by following the rules and living right, which ultimately benefits the individual. Even in group activities, we should cooperate rather than free-riding for the success and achievement of the group. We can promote the maintenance of the community by giving grades based on the individual’s contribution to prevent free-riding. The survival of the community and the right life of its members are inextricably linked, and we should live right for ourselves and society.
