You should be more considerate

Edouardo Honig
Published: 29 Oct 2024. Last updated: 29 Oct 2024.

Do you consider yourself an empathetic person? Do you care about others? What about family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers?

For many it is natural to care about oneself and their close connections, but beyond a certain point the waters are murky. How much should you (or are you morally obligated to) care about someone you see only once a month, year, or in a lifetime?

Those familiar with the shopping cart theory understand that some decisions in life are solely intrinsically motivated. But while returning a shopping cart can be easily viewed as incentive-neutral, I argue that many other seemingly simple daily life choices should not be taken lightly.

Standing in line

Suppose you are standing in a long line of people, with an estimated wait time of 30 minutes. The line is on a sidewalk in front of many storefronts. When the people in front of you step forward, when should you also move? Instead of moving further in line automatically, there are actually some key points to consider here.

Will stepping forward:

• block any paths such as entrances, exits, or walkways?
• improve the situation further back in line, by allowing people behind you to stop blocking routes?
• meaningfully benefit you or others, such as being able to see a menu near the front of the line?

In particular, I find that the majority of people I've observed seem to not think at all about others while standing in line. For example, many will choose an arbitrary spot to stand in line, blocking pathways and/or making it more difficult for the line to continue to grow by wasting space. This usually results in an employee having to ask people to line up in a certain way so as to not inconvenience others.

I encourage everyone to think more about standing in line, and to courageously ask others to properly line up and follow such customs. To be considerate of others will often reduce headache for yourself while waiting in line.

Footpaths

In the United States, people traditionally walk on the right. In Japan, people generally walk on the left. In Korea, the previous tradition of walking on the left was officially changed in 2009 to walking on the right. I imagine this change has caused much confusion and inconvenience. How can we be considerate of others while traversing footpaths?

• Walk and pass on the appropriate side of the path, as determined by local culture or government.
• Do not take up the entire path, and stay alert and ready to allow people to pass at any moment.
• Look where you are going, so as to broadcast your trajectory to avoid collisions.
• If stopping, take up minimal space and stay to the side to allow the traffic to flow normally.

Do not expect others to move out of your way if you are inconsiderate of others. This may include walking on the wrong side of the road or travelling in a group occupying an entire walking lane.
Such crude and selfish behavior should not exist in civilized society, and it is truly jarring to be on the receiving end.

Driving

I am deeply religious when it comes to driving, an activity which is often a necessity while living in the sprawling cities and suburbs of the United States (US). For your safety, the safety of others, and to be considerate of other users of roads, I insist that you follow these rules of the road (for the US):

• Prioritize safety through maintaining consistency while driving. Stay alert and signal intent.
• Stay in the rightmost lane unless passing, at which you should always pass on the left.
• Be aware of when someone wants to pass you: do not drive in the leftmost lane (preventing people from passing), even if you are going at or above the speed limit. This will motivate faster and reckless drivers to more dangerously pass on the right.
• Never rubberneck, as it is dangerous and will likely impede the flow of traffic.

Being considerate of the safety and comfort of others on the road will almost surely improve that of your own.

Other Situations

The above describe thoughts and logic that I follow in three common situations throughout my daily life. I find that through consideration of others, my own situation often improves. Further situations and discussions should include more complex and political topics, such as how to view welfare programs, subsidies, and interactions with strangers.

I have always found it enjoyable to be considerate of others, and feel that I have received many benefits as a result of the consideration of others.

This post may as well be titled "You should be more polite" or "How to be polite".
If you enjoyed it, feel free to check out my other writing or reach out to me via Twitter.