Are the good citizens of this valley becoming a tad testier, just a little pushier, and considerably less socially accommodating than a decade ago?
More people are barking at each other about unleashed dogs and unwelcome deposits left by pooches. Inconsiderate uses of public property and residences, such as noisy parties and other disturbances, are generating neighbourhood feuds.
Traffic issues abound, including vehicles ignoring pedestrian crosswalks and following too closely. When confronted, some will extend a middle digit.
In general, road rage encounters are on the rise. A clue to the source of this state of affairs may come from a classic psychology lab experiment involving six rats in a cage. Two scurried about in a corner of their tranquil realm. Three preened themselves as they waited for the next food pellet delivery. One ran with abandon on an exercise wheel. When three extra rats were added life became less idyllic. With the addition of five more the previously friendly cohabitants suddenly morphed into Rambo mode.
According to American social theorist Robert Ardrey this sudden transition from making nice to making strange in the animal kingdom is triggered by what he called “the territorial imperative,” a concept that refers to the process of staking out and vigorously defending turf against encroachments.
No doubt, some of our decorum lapses can be attributed to rapid population growth, greater urban density and the notion of individual entitlement, a mantra that is creating friction between us.
But humans are more complicated than lab rats. Civility is also in decline because people are disengaging. Our daily encounters are less personal and more driven by electronic communication, replaced by Facebook posts, email and Twitter banter and the blogosphere, a medium fueled by keyboard courage, is abuzz with confrontational exchanges.
Whatever the case, summer is here in one of the most stunning locations anywhere. Instead of being nastier, more brutish and short with each other let’s count our blessings and make an effort to get along.
