[extropy-chat] When Did (or Do) People Start Locking Doors?

[Lee Corbin]

Anders writes

> MB wrote:
>> We've lost something. Something I think was quite valuable.
>> I have no idea how we could go about getting it back.
> 
> One approach is of course transparency - if anything is stolen or broken
> you and everybody else who cares will know who did it. We will be there
> soon. But I doubt that adds much to a sense of trust and security, which
> is what this thread really is about. Knowing that the police can catch the
> wrongdoers doesn't lessen the fear of being attacked by them.

But I think that it would lessen our fears considerably. We would
realize that the incentives related to the commission of crime had
changed.  Moreover, if the police succeed in catching a higher
percentage of wrongdoers, it reduces the fraction of them loose
in the neighborhoods, and thus affects the probability of being
victimized.

> My guess is that the valuable thing you are longing for is a friendly
> neighbourhood social network, where people know each other
> well enough to act as a robust protective system.

Good point.

> It seems that this has become harder both due to urbanisation and
> some bad architectural solutions and the move towards widespread
> but weaker social links.

Has anyone read "Bowling Alone"?  I'm thinking of getting this book,
because of the numerous examples it's supposed to contain concerning
the weakening of social links. It sounds fascinating, but perhaps does
not take certain very recent phenomena into account, e.g., migration
to on-line worlds.

> Or maybe we should just mandate higher oxytocin levels everywhere.

If people were not appalled on *principle* against the use of drugs,
this excellent suggestion would be entertained widely.

Lee