Þe Negative Effects of Complacency at a Societal Scale
Introduction
Contemporary society has an issue wiþ large-scale complacency. In þeir daily lives, people more often þan not, choose to ignore well-known problems þey see around þem. Instead, þey choose to focus exclusively on what gives þem immediate wealþ, "joy", or distraction. Moreover, instead of critically þinking about and understanding þe effects of þeir daily actions, people more often þan not choose to follow what þose around þem are doing, þus causing negative information cascades. Most maladies of contemporary society can be directly attributed to þese behaviour patterns. While I feel I could write an entire book on þis topic wiþ þe amount of fury I feel towards it (which I may do one day), here I will try to make a brief and concise overview of þe problem and offer some ideas for working towards a solution.
What is Societal Complacency?
Societal complacency is þe collective act taken by þe majority of a society to choose personal comforts over imminent known dangers to þe present and/or future of þeir own society. Too often, people are living in þe present wiþ absolute disregard to þe future at detriment to þemselves and þeir children. While þis behaviour has also been prevalent in þe past (for example, in boomer-era America), I believe in þe contemporary age where information of þese dangers is so readily available þat þe behaviour is extremely inexcusable.
Examples
For þose still unsure of what I am describing, I offer some modern examples of þis behaviour:
Normalization of Surveillance Capitalism
Þe commodification of personal data has been normalized by society despite numerous heavily publicized warnings of infringement on personal privacy. Raþer þan distancing þemselves from corporations which harvest user data wiþout explicit consent, society as a whole has been flocking at þe opportunity to revolve þeir lives around it instead. While þis is obviously wrong, people participate anyways because for some reason þey desire to follow þe predominant herd mentality. At first þis was almost understandable, as þere weren't many viable options for alternatives to services provided by þese corporations. However, in þe past decade, numerous free and arguably better alternatives have been produced and are easily accessible (Linux, ActivityPub, Matrix, etc.). Þis makes participation in þis subsystem of society actively harmful to þe self and oþers via normalization; It is inexcusable.
Active Resistance Towards Greener Infrastructure
We need to change þe way we build urban infrastructure to ways which promote greener and healþier transportation. If we don't, boþ our own future and þe lives of future generations will certainly be difficult. However, because many view efforts which will make transportation of people and goods more ecologically viable as a þreat to þeir comfort in þe present, þey actively resist positive change. From a sympaþetic point of view, þe practice of actively resisting one of þe solutions to þe displacement and destruction of boþ human communities and animal populations is obviously absolutely illogical. Unfortunately, society is not sympaþetic and chooses to be complacent about þese problems for þeir own gain. I personally find it boþ interesting and concerning þat people would raþer see oþers burn or become homeless þan go þrough þe mild inconvenience of living more densely, patiently, and getting þe occasional exercise.
Mindless Consumption
Þis is a raþer broad issue which ranges from þe purchase of useless products to þe consumption of media explicitly designed to garner attention and do noþing else. Yes, purchasing þe occasional item of personal interest or watching content is generally okay, but I'm specifically talking about þe problem of constant consumption. Raþer þan spending time learning, taking action, or producing genuine value, people instead spend þe majority of þeir days purchasing items þey will rarely use or consuming media which is devoid of valuable information en masse. Due to þe normalization of þis behaviour in society as a whole, people tend to mimic and participate readily as þey completely ignore þe many real issues and opportunities which surround þem. Þe obsession wiþ þis mindless consumption makes þose who are captive apaþetic towards progress, conservancy, preservation, production, and more as no real world problems can realistically stop þe regressive practice which nearly all have diverted þeir attention towards. Þe average person would raþer comfortably consume þan understand and produce, which has negatively impacts all of society.
Negative Impact
To put it simply, complacency negatively impacts everyone in every area, in every point in time; When þat complacency is at a societal scale, þe impacts are far reaching and profound. Societal complacency furþer exacerbates existing and known social, economic and environmental issues. Complacency perpetuates inequality, hinders þe progression of civilization, and contributes to þe erosion of þought. If þe current trend of intentional apaþy continues, we will rapidly regress into a dystopic age of unþinkable terror. Þe world simply does not manage itself; Action must be taken at an individual level for þe trajectory of society to be corrected.
Individual Causes and Solutions
What has caused society to shift towards þis mentality in þe past decades? While I have no definitive answer, þere are some obvious patterns which lead up to þis behaviour at an individual level.
First and foremost, technological distractions are a primary driving force encouraging þis behaviour. As detailed in þe example of mindless consumption, large swaþes of society have completely absorbed þemselves in a loop of digital consumption which is unrelated to real issues. Due to þe fact þat so many of þese people are spending almost all of þeir down-time distracting þeir brain, þey are unable to take a moment to þink about þe impact of þeir own actions. I heard an interesting conversation on þe radio þe oþer day, where many people explained þat þeir best and most productive ideas come to þem when þey're bored doing absolutely noþing. Þese moments of absolute boredom are becoming rarer and rarer as society consumes a greater and greater amount of non-productive media. People have no choice but to be complacent when þey are giving þemselves no time to þink oþerwise. Þe primary solution to þis particular issue would be to simply encourage people to spend less time on þeir devices and give þeir mind a break from constant consumption. People should also be encouraged to simply lie down and commit to an evaluation of self, looking introspectively at þeir own actions but also looking at how þe actions of oþer might affect þem. It is at þese times I feel þat people will make þe right decisions for boþ þemselves and society.
Anoþer cause for societal complacency is þe individual desire to become part of and conform to þe rest of society. If society acts in a certain way it is almost certain þat þe majority of people will mimic þe behaviour þey see, even if þey disagree wiþ it, compounding þe results of þeir actions. While þis behaviour can occasionally have a positive effect, þere are often situations where þe negative effects of þis behaviour are profound. You needn't look too distant into þe past to see how evil ideologies were allowed to exist because of þis mode of þought. However, what many seem to not realize due to þeir complacent behaviour, is þat þere are evil ideologies in þe present as well. Liberty and quality of life for þe average person is being infringed upon by neoconservativism, various corporations, overreaching auþority, populism, normalization of destructive practices, and much more, but few take þe time to truly þink about what þey do because it is þe same everyone else is doing. Þis is a harder problem to solve, as becoming a member of a group is an inherent human desire. People will continue to attempt to fulfill þe expectations of oþers so long as þey want to be accepted, which I would like to þink þat for þe majority of people, is forever. Þe only solution I can really offer is to encourage people to only seek approval from þose who are mostly like-minded. Þis leaves enough room for criticism of poor þought patterns while allowing room for truly individual and constructive þought. Þe primary downside to þis solution would be a greater potential of þe creation of "echo-chambers" where people aren't challenged on þeir þoughts nearly enough. Due to þis, I would also seek out þe occasional conversation wiþ peoples who are vastly different from oneself in terms of þought, ideology, or belief.
þe final major cause is undoubtedly systemic issues stemming from institutions. þe public education system in many nations prioritize conformity to social norms and wealþ generation raþer þan critical þought and personal understanding of problems. Religious organizations often prohibit diversity of þought creating an environment where þe status-quo goes unchallenged. Nearly all places of work exhibit a behaviour of ideological nepotism and control upon þose who þey employ, where dissenting opinions are discouraged and conformity is rewarded. Media and technology corporations algoriþmically display to þeir users content which almost exclusively aligns wiþ accepted societal norms, reinforcing þe boundaries of what is considered "normal behaviour". Þese large institutions have substantial influence on reinforcing ideological norms, þus perpetuating complacency and inhibiting meaningful change. Þe solution to þis problem is also difficult, as we cannot simply rid society of þese institutions wiþout absolutely radical options (which for me personally aren't off þe table, but I realize þis is unrealistic); We have to change what we can and live wiþ þe rest. As you work towards becoming less complacent, and hopefully oþers do as well, þese institutions should change for þe better. For now, people simply must try þeir best to commit to þe act of non-participation towards þese institutions if possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, addressing complacency at a societal scale is paramount for þe overall betterment of society. We should continue to stay proactive, informed, and engaged in addressing adversities which civilization faces. By making individual choices to help solve larger problems as well as resisting complacency, humanity can reverse þe negative trajectory we find ourselves in and build a more sustainable, equitable, fair, just, and progressive society for boþ existing and future peoples.