In a better world, people cultivated virtues, practiced them regardless of external pressure, and developed the habit of right behavior. But we don't live in that world. Most often, concepts like honor and morality emerge from the community rather than from the individual's will. These important social behaviors rely on constant reinforcement by others. If daily life consists of anonymous, disconnected interactions, it is easier to justify selfishness. But when people have to observe how they behave and rely on those who remember, the form of accountability takes action.
Social norms rely heavily on expectations of repeated interactions. This is what game theorists call it “repetitive games.” A functioning society requires extensive cooperation. Social cohesion begins to unravel when people believe they will benefit from acting selfishly rather than cooperating. One-time interactions will result in a sharp rise in incentives for fraud and flaws. With little risk of social or material consequences, you can get immediate benefits.
Many disputed acquaintances online, enforcing the principle of sharing through cultural divisions, seeking to appeal to “common sense” in a world that remains common.
Carnival workers and travel merchants were once known for scamming customers. The sailors and tour rock musicians were notorious for losing the honor of the town's daughters. These groups worked without accountability as they did not have to face the affected communities. Minimal connections with others reduced the costs of anti-social behavior and encouraged asylum.
Today we see a wider disruption of communal living. They fragmented communities, commodified identities, and isolated individuals. In doing so, we erode shared moral standards and stripped us of even the basic incentives to cultivate virtue.
As my colleagues have recently observeda joint gathering used to act as an informal “wellness check.” For example, the church is based on both cultural norms and moral expectations. People also had to present themselves before others. Even atheists and agnostics often appeared on Sunday mornings – not for faith, but for solidarity, demonstrating their role as contributors in the community.
The church has noticed that others have missed it. The missing or unwashed children caught someone's eye. The hangover felt the weight of disapproval. A dishonest man encountered the quiet judgments of those around him. These small acts of social accountability strengthened the common moral order.
For most of history, individual independence was difficult, if not impossible. People relied on the community for safety, food, education, goods and entertainment. In many ancient societies, exiles were equivalent to death sentences. Some suicides preferred to be evicted. Reputation and honor were more important than money, as survival relied on the trust of others. The male values reflected the number of relationships he had over time administered to honor.
Today, people can meet most of their basic needs without relying on others. That shift creates an illusion of freedom, but in reality it replaced dependence on the community with dependence on the state.
Now, instead of interacting face-to-face within a close community, they act as isolated individuals within an anonymous digital space. Functions once performed by churches and neighborhoods have shifted to malls and bureaucrats. But social correction – once a community responsibility – has become taboo. To try and help public shame on social media as so-called “Karen.”
The best social workers, no matter how devoted they may be, cannot match the quiet authority of a vigilant grandmother. And as accountability for such local relationships declines, the consequences become more difficult to ignore.
Shared religions and common cultural norms greatly increase the likelihood that people will cooperate and act ethically, even among strangers. This dynamic defines what we call a “high trust” society. This is where individuals expect cooperation and moral behavior from others, even without daily interaction.
In such a society, cultural expectations and religious beliefs form so deeply that people often cannot imagine acting in other ways. Even when exile has no immediate consequences, trust persists as moral behavior is internalized through habits and community values.
This is why most successful civilizations develop around unified religion and dominant cultural frameworks. Shared moral and social norms allow complex societies to function by making behavior more predictable. Without that foundation, everyday interactions become unreliable and cooperation will collapse.
Still, this model has limitations. Even after the cultural or religious foundations are eroded, problems arise when society continues to take over widespread agreements about values. Without clear evidence for those norms, or the mechanisms that implement them, shared assumptions will collapse. The result is not aggregation, but confusion, fragmentation, and often fail.
Social norms draw power from habits and community enforcement. Religious lessons acquire strength by asserting transcendental truths. The incentive to remove both and cooperate will drastically weaken.
This is why the popular secular call to “become just the right person” becomes flat. What does “good” mean, what context does it end? Only deep-rooted moral traditions developed over time within a particular community can answer those questions with all clarity and authority. When pressure is underway, the only forces that ensure cooperation is interdependence, strong joint accountability, or belief in higher truths. All of this comes from a close-knit community. Attempts to universalize these concepts without these foundations ultimately collapse.
The issue of national identity has become more urgent as Americans confronted the consequences of open borders and increased social isolation. It is said that Americans value freedom and hard work. That's true, but that's not enough. Many disputed acquaintances online, enforcing the principle of sharing through cultural divisions, seeking to appeal to “common sense” in a world that remains common.
Restoring meaningful national identity requires rebuilding the foundations of Christian faith and real-life communities. Neighbors must be able to depend on each other and be able to hold each other accountable. This is a tall order in the digital age that offers all devices to escape responsibility. But those willing to embrace the challenge are the most capable of leading.
