How Misinterpreted Liberalism, Social Media, and Ego-Centered Thinking Threaten Democracy and Vivre Ensemble.
Image created by ChatGPT, click please to enlarge.
Provocative Introduction – A Simple Public Scene
Imagine a crowded bus, a public square, or a supermarket queue. Someone pushes forward, ignores others, speaks loudly on the phone, disrespects an elderly person, and reacts aggressively when confronted. When asked to follow the rules, the answer comes quickly: “I am free.”
This everyday scene raises a disturbing question: When did freedom become a justification for disrespect?
This tutorial invites you to practice #ReverseTHINKing: instead of asking “What am I allowed to do?”, we ask “What does my behavior do to society?” Only by reversing this mental reflex can we understand how democracy, freedom, and living together are being quietly weakened.
1. Liberalism Revisited – Freedom Was Never Meant to Be Lawless
Liberalism, historically, was built on a delicate balance: individual freedom within a shared legal and ethical framework. Laws were not enemies of freedom; they were its protectors. The rule of law guaranteed that everyone’s freedom had limits—so that freedom could exist for all.
Today, this balance is increasingly lost. Liberalism is often reduced to radical individualism, where personal desire overrides collective responsibility. Rules are seen as optional, social norms as obsolete, and institutions as obstacles.
This is not liberalism; it is a dangerous drift toward social anarchy!
#ReverseTHINKing step: Instead of asking “Why should I obey this rule?”, ask “What happens to society if everyone ignores it?”
Learn more from my previous tutorials:
2. Freedom Without Responsibility – A Democratic Contradiction
Democracy cannot function without citizens who accept constraints. Voting, rights, and freedoms only make sense when paired with duties. Freedom detached from responsibility becomes destructive.
The modern misunderstanding of freedom promotes:
- Rights without duties
- Expression without accountability
- Individual satisfaction over collective stability
This contradiction weakens democracy from the inside. Not through dictatorship or censorship, but through indifference.
Older generations often sense this erosion more clearly. They were educated to respect public space, authority, and shared norms. What they witness today feels like a moral vacuum, where anything goes and nothing binds us together.
3. Social Media – The Accelerator of Ego-Centered Thinking
Social media did not invent egoism, but it industrialized it.
Digital platforms reward speed, outrage, visibility, and emotional extremes. Nuance, empathy, and reflection are penalized by algorithms that favor conflict. The result is a constant reinforcement of “me first” thinking.
Online behavior slowly becomes offline behavior:
- Less patience in public spaces
- More verbal aggression
- Reduced tolerance for difference
- Public humiliation replacing dialogue
For many elderly people, this shift creates exclusion. Their values—respect, restraint, listening—no longer match the dominant digital culture. Public life becomes stressful, hostile, and unsafe—not physically, but socially.
#ReverseTHINKing step: Before posting or reacting, ask “Would this strengthen or weaken trust if everyone behaved like this?”
4. The Return of the Elbow Society
An “elbow society” is one where individuals push others aside to advance themselves. Cooperation fades, solidarity erodes, and success becomes a zero-sum game.
In such a society:
- Courtesy is perceived as weakness
- Respect is conditional
- The elderly become invisible
- Laws are followed only when enforced
This mindset is incompatible with democracy. A democratic society relies on voluntary respect, not constant surveillance. Once rules require permanent enforcement, freedom is already lost.
5. Vivre Ensemble – The Forgotten Core of Freedom
Vivre ensemble—living together—is not a romantic ideal. It is a practical necessity. It requires:
- Self-restraint
- Empathy
- Acceptance of limits
- Recognition of others’ dignity
True freedom means choosing not to harm the social fabric, even when we could. It means understanding that public space belongs to everyone, not just to the loudest or strongest.
When vivre ensemble disappears, society fragments into isolated individuals—and democracy becomes an empty shell.
6. Institutional Erosion – When Authority Stops Protecting the Community
Another alarming side-effect of misinterpreted freedom and growing indifference is the gradual withdrawal of institutions from their core mission: protecting the community.
Police forces, political institutions, and local communes increasingly hesitate to act decisively. Fear of controversy, accusations, legal complexity, or public backlash often leads to passivity. Rules exist, but enforcement becomes inconsistent. Responsibility is diluted.
Citizens perceive this clearly:
- Laws are not applied equally
- Disturbances in public spaces are tolerated
- Anti-social behavior goes unchallenged
- Victims feel abandoned rather than protected
This institutional hesitation sends a dangerous message: rules are negotiable, authority is optional, and accountability is weak. Over time, this undermines trust—not only in institutions, but in democracy itself.
A society where institutions retreat leaves space for ego-driven behavior to flourish. When authority no longer guarantees fairness and protection, individuals either withdraw or take matters into their own hands—both outcomes weaken social cohesion.
#ReverseTHINKing step: Instead of asking “Why are authorities doing nothing?”, ask “What kind of civic pressure and responsibility are needed to help institutions fulfill their role?”
7. Education as the Missing Link
This crisis is not only political or technological. It is educational.
Civic education, ethics, critical thinking, and social intelligence have been downgraded in favor of performance, speed, and individual success. We teach people how to compete, but not why to cooperate.
#ReverseTHINKing proposes a shift:
- From rights-first to responsibility-first thinking
- From reaction to reflection
- From ego to collective awareness
Without this shift, no law, no platform regulation, and no technological solution will be sufficient.
This crisis is not only political or technological. It is educational.
Civic education, ethics, critical thinking, and social intelligence have been downgraded in favor of performance, speed, and individual success. We teach people how to compete, but not why to cooperate.
#ReverseTHINKing proposes a shift:
- From rights-first to responsibility-first thinking
- From reaction to reflection
- From ego to collective awareness
Without this shift, no law, no platform regulation, and no technological solution will be sufficient.
Conclusion – A Choice for Democracy
The danger we face is not authoritarianism alone, but democratic erosion through indifference. When laws are ignored, respect vanishes, and freedom is reduced to ego, democracy slowly dissolves.
Reclaiming freedom means reclaiming meaning. It requires courage to accept limits, humility to respect others, and wisdom to think beyond oneself.
The essential question remains:
Can democracy survive if society forgets how to live together?
#ReverseTHINKing suggests the answer depends on us—every day, in every public interaction, online and offline.
💡 A Small Reminder:
- #ReverseTHINKing — Learning to Unlearn in Order to Rebuild Better
- Understanding becomes more difficult when the basics haven’t been learned.
- And you — when did you stop questioning what is presented to you as “obvious”?
- Is it time to relearn how to think… before someone else does it for you?
#ReverseTHINKing is essential for regaining control over our attention, our choices, and our digital autonomy.
To explore further:
🔗 ReverseTHINKing: A Necessity for Rethinking Our Place in a Changing Society?
🧠 Final Call:
What if we reactivated the filter between our two ears — also known as the “brain” — to get those grey cells moving again? 😉
Further Reading & Related Tutorials
My curated resources on Scoop.it:
Check ALSO my Curation and EDU-related articles on my Blog
- https://www.scoop.it/topic/21st-century-learning-and-teaching?tag=AI
- https://www.scoop.it/topic/21st-century-innovative-technologies-and-developments?tag=AI
.
.
Check ALSO:
.
| L’auteur Gust MEES est Formateur andragogique / pédagogique TIC, membre du “Comité Conseil” de “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), appelé maintenant BEESECURE, partenaire officiel (consultant) du Ministère de l’éducation au Luxembourg du projet ”MySecureIT“, partenaire officiel du Ministère du Commerce au Luxembourg du projet ”CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure).. The author Gust MEES is ICT Course Instructor, ”Member of the Advisory Board” from “Luxembourg Safer Internet” (LuSI), BEESECURE, Official Partner (Consultant) from the Ministry of Education in Luxembourg, project “MySecureIT“, Official Partner from the Ministry of Commerce in Luxembourg, project “CASES” (Cyberworld Awareness and Security Enhancement Structure). |
Keywords for me to create this tutorial:
#ChatGPT #AI #ReverseTHINKing #CriticalTHINKing #ProactiveTHINKing #DeepTHINKing #ETHICS #Democracy #ModernEDUcation #DigitalAwareness #CyberResponsibility #DigitalCitiZENship #Responsibility #SynthesizingMind #AIFootprint #Privacy #Liberalism
EDU: Digital CitiZENship, CyberSecurity, eSkills, Modern EDU by Gust MEES 
