Concern for common good is an essential factor of progress…
One can measure the level to which, in daily life, the individual members of a society value the common good through a simple indicator: road traffic
When a large number of participants in road traffic are willing to give way because it makes sense for traffic flow overall, people uphold the common good versus individual advantages. The opposite is a me-first attitude, even at red lights.
Traffic chaos indicates little respect for the common good, as well as the helplessness of the authorities to execute rules of the common good against ako muna traffic participants. Either way, traffic chaos indicates a decreased likelihood for successful economic development, while countries in which road traffic discipline is observed will usually do much better.
Traffic discipline is superb in Northern Europe and North America, which goes hand in hand with countries in these locations being the richest in the world. Traffic discipline is better in Bangkok than here in Manila or Jakarta, which is in line with the development progress in the respective countries over the past decades. Traffic rules are largely ignored in much of sub-Saharan Africa, they’re a hot mess over there…
I do not mean that economic progress of countries depends on road traffic conditions….
I only say that road traffic conditions are an easily visible overall indicator for the likely economic growth path of a country in the coming years. In Third World countries, the degree of observance of traffic regulations corresponds fairly well to the economic development potential.
In general, you will find that the less the people of a country are willing to put the common good ahead of their own personal advantage, the less a country will develop economically.
Huwag pasaway…
