I was talking to a group of friends on a breezy afternoon about different things I found interesting. We talked about the presidential election, we talked about theories surrounding our existence, we just talked about everything. Everything was interesting, but when a friend brought up the topic of society and the rules of living in one, suddenly my entire focus was captured. We don't think about these rules very often, but we live by them everyday in our day to day struggle (or lack of) to meet our personal goals. What makes up these laws? I pondered on this rather general question and here's what I came up with.

Compassion is easily taken for granted. A few weeks ago, I was in a coffee shop and decided to order a coffee. I had forgotten that I had moved most of my money out of my checking account and I didn't have enough for my purchase. As I tried to figure out what was wrong, a wonderful gentleman paid for my coffee silently and left. The cashier let me know of his deed and I couldn't help but feel guilty for my blunder. How did he know that I didn't have a scheme to score free coffee? He didn't. He trusted that I was innocent, as most people do. This trust allows us to work together better as a whole, but it also gives people without a conscience the ability to violate the first law of honesty.

Everyone has the capability to either help or tear down others through their words. When I approach someone, I could choose to either tell them how great they look or berate them, destroying their self-confidence. What keeps me from doing the latter? Nothing. I won't get a fine, receive twenty lashes to the back, or end up in a Siberian gulag. So what stops everyone from being mean? I'm no psychologist, but I'd have to assume its the good feeling you get when you inspire others. Seeing a proud expression worn on the face of someone we care about gives us our own pride, reinforces our place in making the world a better place. We enjoy helping others because it helps us. People who do not care for others or their place in society have no problem destroying others, thus ignoring the second law of kindness.

The third, and I may argue the most important of all these laws, is empathy. Empathy is your ability as a person to look at someone else and realize that, just like you, they are a person who feels emotions similar to you and they deal with problems just like I do. You can be kind and compassionate to others, but without empathy your gesture is empty and doesn't improve you as a person. I could give away all my money to the next homeless man I see, but if I don't care about him as a person, then what do I gain? If I don't understand his position, then I simply gave money away. He will appreciate it and he may thank me, maybe even try to return the favor, but essentially it would have been better if I had kept my money because, at the end of the day, if I don't benefit from my act in an emotional way, then why do it?

We all work together as humans to achieve certain goals. If nobody trusted others, we'd all be at each others throats. Maybe one day, everyone will understand what their place in society entails. Until then, we can only hope that everyone gains a little bit of wisdom and spreads good spirit through good acts, but at the same time caring for themselves. We should all aspire to great leaders of the past so that we may have more in the future.