The Collective
The best approach for the reader to take would be to put in his mind right from the start that none of these maxims apply to himself in particular, and that he is the sole exception, even though they appear to be generalities. After that I guarantee that he will be the first to endorse them and he will believe that they do credit to the human spirit. ~ François de La Rochefoucauld
The Collective comprise the great wad of humanity, defined by their beliefs and constrained by their fears. Societies and polities are their sizable social expressions. The fruits of civilization are their legacy.
No sense of harmony. No sense of time. ~ Scottish musician David Byrne in the song “Blind” (1987)
Despite its advantage in being a wellspring of understanding and joy, over 1/3rd of the Collective shy from empathy simply because they are lazy.
People just don’t want to make the mental effort to feel empathy toward others, even when it involves feeling positive emotions. There is a strong preference to avoid empathy even when someone else is expressing joy. ~ American psychologist Daryl Cameron
