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 Originally Posted by boost
btw: even if we never agree, MMM, this is a fun exercise, you're certainly making me consider things I hadn't fully explored.

 Originally Posted by boost
We're social creatures, we're talking about the functioning of society. It is by all of our authority. By what right can you tell me not to walk around in public naked, the way I was born, my natural state? Well, you (if not you, the royal you) do tell me that, and enforce that norm-- first through shame, then through force. Some norms we codify into law, some we leave unwritten and discourage outside of the legal system.
I'm not sure if you're asking me
A) for the history of public decency laws,
B) whether it's moral that we have public decency laws, or
C) whether public decency should be a moral topic at all.
FWIW, public indecency hurts no one and IMO, it's immoral to have something that is non-threatening be illegal.
FWIW, if the reality is that people are so scared of having sexy thoughts in public because they saw someone's sexy bits, and that causes more trouble than it solves, then whatever. If you tell me that I have to cover my sexy bits for the public good, what can I say? They're powerful sexy bits, and I agree that the greater public probably could not contain themselves if I was showing them off.
Seriously, though. Who cares if it's moral? You have more opportunities if you wear pants in public. If that's because of mass hysteria, then so what? It's simple enough to put pants on.
 Originally Posted by boost
Again, I don't think either person is behaving badly universally. Morality is contextual. And it's perfectly normal for people to misread the context and therefore act immoral. As I've said, camera lady is a nosy busy body if you shift a few variables, and naively out of step with the looming disaster if you shift a few more. Each person is rolling the dice with their action.
I really agree. I'm not saying either is a threat to anyone.
They're just both generally annoying in that way that people tend to be.
 Originally Posted by boost
I don't think any of these people are bad, or evil, or any thing like that. I don't even know what that means tbh. What I do think is that they're performing social functions-- when they're well used, our reaction rewards them, and when they're misused, our reaction discourages such use.
Evil is choosing to ignore what you know is best, and doing what you know is not best.
Oh, and moderation keeps us all sane, so ... y'know... sometimes what's best is a little self-rebellion.
Just, if you know something is bad, then... really try to not do it... unless you have to... OK?
EZ PZ, right?
Sure, but they're just people. The emergent nature of their presence in a greater society is not understood at all by me. So I can't really analyze anything on those terms.
I know you're right.. but that stuff happens at or to me.
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