WeAccel’s Take on the Social Contract
At WeAccel we see the social contract a bit differently.
Maybe it’s because we have a few more centuries of hindsight than did Hobbes, Rousseau or Jefferson.
Maybe it’s because we live in an American society that lays claim to these ideals…
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
… but too often falls short in execution.
Maybe it’s because we’re just wide-eyed dreamers who want to live in a better world. Maybe it’s all of the above!
Whatever the reason, for us the social contract boils down to this truth: we are stronger, happier, and healthier as a society (and as a nation) when we live and conduct ourselves as though we owe each other something. Not in a sense of debt, but in a sense of reciprocity, respect, and collaboration. The social contract is the Golden Rule: treat others as you’d like them to treat you.
One more cliché for the road: we believe that a rising tide lifts all ships. Individuals, governments and private sector entities all fall under the social contract, and all have pivotal roles to play in upholding it.
Individuals, governments and private sector entities all fall under the social contract, and all have pivotal roles to play in upholding it.
The reality is that our current systems are not designed with this kind of radical empathy in mind. Our current systems are rooted in the idea that perpetual growth and maintaining social power are the only metrics that matter. Individualism has its place, of course, but when that kind of thinking infects an entire society everyone pays a price.
It’s also true that the heaviest part of that burden falls on the shoulders of our most vulnerable citizens. Our governments are too-often slow-moving, bureaucratic machines resistant to creating fundamental change for fear of losing jobs or the next election. Or maybe it’s just a complete disconnect from the communities they serve.
The private sector often isolates itself from the idea of social responsibility entirely, eschewing people and planet in the chase of profit. In the tech world, tech bros often seem more interested in stroking their egos while showing off their shiny new technologies instead of considering the bigger question: who does this tech benefit? And most importantly - who or what can it hurt?
Photo by Uriel Soberanes / Unsplash
And government’s role? To ensure that each resident has equitable access to the opportunities needed to live their best lives. Diversity, equity, inclusion, access - all elements that require us to take another look at the social contract in our communities. In the words of George Harrison: “But it's gonna take money, A whole lotta spendin' money, It's gonna take plenty of money, To do it right, child”.
How CAN a community ensure that budgets, however challenged, are created to enable the social contract for a new generation?
Next Up: Introducing the Community Hierarchy of Needs
Until next time, be well.