Public accountability?

[Love]

I was at the Live Earth concert in NJ last night. Amazing, wonderful. However, for some odd 4.5 hours, I was posted as a volunteer by the recycling stations. At times I became peeved, upset to be monitoring the garbage patterns of rich people that didn't know enough to do right. However, what I came to see were some moments in which people actually paused to deliberate. Where should that item go? Even if I flat-out told them, many people seemed happy to have done their part and put their item in the correct bin. They put on a smile as they did their part or tossed me a thumbs up. I thought it was kind of cool. But people are always proud and pleased when they feel they have done a good thing. I don't know if they only felt they had done a good thing because I and other volunteers were stationed at each center, though. Do we need a person standing at each center in our lives? One person there when we buy our cars? When we buy our lightbulbs?
Is public accountability the only way to get people to do good things?

[Akashic_Librarian]

It would seem that way in your reality.

[Love]

Originally Posted by Akashic_Librarian

It would seem that way in your reality.

Ha, ha.
That's the trouble. Your own reality always makes perfect sense. What I want is for someone tell me that isn't true and here's why.... I guess.

[Iksander]

It isn't true and here's why:

...the only way to get people to do good things?

You are concerning yourself far too much with other people.

[Brad Isaac]

Originally Posted by Love

At times I became peeved, upset to be monitoring the garbage patterns of rich people that didn't know enough to do right. However, what I came to see were some moments in which people actually paused to deliberate. Where should that item go? Even if I flat-out told them, many people seemed happy to have done their part and put their item in the correct bin.

Many people in new circumstances become disoriented. Especially with loud music playing.

[Ak47]

I'm sure those people felt appriciation from you. Everyone likes to be appriciated, even for the smallest things. Let's face it, the word most spoken in the human language is "I." When someone does something, whether it's good, bad, or even an everday action, to feel gratitude of any amount from someone will brighten their day.

Not to mention you were in a position as a respectable figure. Though those people may not know you, how smart, successful; or anything about you. They know you care about something to help the world, which is indeed comendable. So to them, for you to aknowledge that they were doing their part in the big scheme of things made them feel good about themselves.

I think this sort of thing would work less when buying a car, etc. To tell someone "nice ride" or something would still make them happy, but i still believe it would be a little different. Spending a huge chunk of money is not something people will ever be respected for (at least shouldn't be). In that case happiness is manifested from meterial value and luxury instead of the self-indulgence of good grace for something they'd accomplished as simple or difficult as it was.

In essence though, a smile and a police comment will always make someone happier, unless they have a disorder. Even if they don't show it.

[Ak47]

*edit isn't working =/

*polite*

[Old Soul]

I pick up garbage and put it in the bins at the park all the time, (when no one is around)

maybe these folks do as well, but it made them smile to see they were not alone , and that there is strength in numbers

[Love]

I just used the example at the concert because that's what spurred the thought. I was really interested in the idea of public accountability. For instance, I know one technique of achieving your goals is saying to someone else that you will have them done by X date. And that accountability inspires you enough to do the work to achieve your goal. And I guess I was thinking that the fact that public accountability works was a bad thing--i.e. you shouldn't have to proclaim a goal or be watched all the time in order for something to work. However, now I'm thinking that since public accountability does work, how we might bring it to other failing system, or what it would mean if we could.

[Brutha]

Public accountability is one way that works.

Another way is culture. When all the stars say that in order to be cool you have to do XY, people who want to be cool will do XY even when nobody else watches them.
They identify themselves as cool people and doing XY is a behavior that cool people follow.

You are probably motivated by your self identity. You feel that you are altanative or you want to rebel against the status quo.

People do the things they do for psychological reasons. To get people to do good you have to build enviroments where people are encouraged to do good.