My Policy on Policy
In preparation for my Torts final tomorrow, I’ve been reading and writing not only on issues in a fact pattern or two, but I’ve also been looking at policy as it relates to tort law, which got me thinking about my own policies. Here is my policy on policy: I think our policy/legal system, while necessary, is totally focusing on wrong, rather than right.
Any psychologist, or for that matter, neuroscientist, will tell you that you are most like who are around. We have tiny little cells in our brain called mirror neurons–and we watch and learn while our mirror neurons soak it all in (literally, monkey see, monkey do). That’s why picking your mate, or the top 5 people you hang around is super important; one must very carefully choose those who are around them. If you want to be a rock star, it might be a good idea to hang around rock stars, so you can watch and learn.
Where I think the legal system has gone wrong is that it is completely focusing on the bad or negative. I’m sure later on I’m going to have the opportunity to take classes that focus more on prevention and good things, rather than just the train wrecks, car wrecks, boat accidents, or criminals injuring themselves in the line of their duty. But the bad and ugly has completely permeated our society. (If you need an example, just watch your local news.) It is NOTHING but bad!
What if we instead learned how to make a societal system structured on people doing GOOD things and GOOD work? I’m pretty lucky, because I’m already around this type of person – but I always like to be around people with cool, good, positive ideas, so their coolness can rub off on me, and I in turn can create other cool ideas and share them. I want to see positive on television, radio, media, online – EVERYWHERE! What if the law, instead of being a punishment-based system, was instead a reward system for those who have done good things? Where are the rewards for great, fantastic, knock your socks off positive action (rather than punishment for egregious behavior)? If we as a society get our eyes on the good, it is a self fulfilling prophecy – we can all see it, and in turn live it ourselves!
As Spike Lee said, “Do the right thing.” As I say, let’s get some good up in here to get policy and society focused on what is right, true and just, and maybe we can all learn a thing or two from it.
