Why (some) people don't like democracy
#202
My Dear Friend of Democracy,
Democracy, at its core, means the rule of the people.
So people decide about their own lives.
Democracy is, therefore, a blessing. It means the greatest possible self-determination.
But democracy is also an imposition.
Cause it means the greatest possible personal responsibility. If no one tells me what to do, then I am the only one responsible for my actions (and inactions).
Not everyone copes well with that.
In addition, personal responsibility has a second layer.
In democracy, we are also responsible for others.
The path we choose regularly crosses that of our fellow human beings. Sometimes that doesn't bother us. Sometimes, encounters are even fruitful. But sometimes they are unpleasant. The freedom of one person then hinders the freedom of another. And vice versa.
Because life is not always a bed of roses. Resources are limited, and goods and services are not available in infinite quantities. In other words: Human coexistence never only knows common interests, but always also conflicting ones.
Where there are conflicts, solutions are needed.
We have established thousands of rules to balance the interests.
As a result, we do not have to renegotiate daily how we deal with these conflicting interests and how we live up to our responsibility towards our fellow human beings.
But ultimately, we are still responsible. Responsible for the rules. Because in democracy these rules are determined by everyone. We cannot escape. Not even if we do not participate in the rule-making. For example, if we do not vote, we are responsible for the fact that others will decide what rules are set.
✊ Democracy is an imposition. We are not only responsible for our own lives but also for the lives of our fellow human beings. This is challenging. We have to ask ourselves where our freedom ends. We have to keep an eye on the others. Talk to them. Argue. Negotiate. Find common ground. Vote. – This is sometimes tiring. It is the most wonderful imposition I can imagine.
See you in Europe,
Johannes