Greed and selfishness have always been human foibles, but it seems recently they have taken on a more normalised, celebrated form - a more 'I have the right to do whatever the fuck I like, and everyone ele should stop being the fun police' form. It seems that the line between personal freedom and being mindful of others cannot co-exist, and that individualism comes at a price of disregarding others. In Australia, this is painfully clear in places where we share spaces - beaches, camping grounds, national parks. Here people's sense of entitlement, stupidity and lack of empathy becomes painfully visibe - and audible.

I find it rather odd, even ironic, that people seek out nature to escape the noise and chaos of life only to bring it with them. Whilst many of us long to connect with nature and find peace and quiet, others bring thumping loud speakers, cartons of booze and loud conversations and shouting, even fighting (who knew that alcohol and unresolved emotions can explode even out in the bush? Sigh), becoming animals themselves as they drown out the natural world around them. It as if they wilfully ignore the invitation for stillness and reflection, and instead write over it with the same self centred behavior they could have left at home for a change.

It's not just about noise, though - it's about attitude. We seem to live in a culture that values personal gratification over the collective experience. Why should someone turn down the volume on their bluetooth speaking, put their dog on a lead, or drive slowly through a campground or not slam their van doors when they're just having fun? Why pick up your empty stubbies and chip packets when someone else can do it?

Likely, because they can get away with it. There's no consequence from police or rangers at campgrounds - the country is too big and resources too thin to be policed, and out bush, we are left to self manage.

But also it's that many people have seemed to soak up the message that they are the central character in the story of their lives and everyone else is a prop or an obstacle. It's a society that rewards being visible, loud, and confident. Being empathetic is soft, weak, woke. Patience and respect are not modelled, and are seen as letting people walk over them rather than being mindful about how your actions affect others.

Sometimes it's not even that wilful. It's just stupidity, or ignorance. I try to tell myself they might not know that their country radio from their bluetooth speaker echoes across the campground, or that the lights from their caravan are shining over your campfire. But when it's ignorance that is mixed with refusal to take responsiblity that it becomes more insidious, even malicious, a wilful blindness to change, an unwillingness to be uncomfortable with the knowledge it's you that might be the asshole. It's easier to shout that anyone that's bothered by your behaviour should fuck right off and stop being the fun police. It's others that need to stop being boring, not them that need to consider that other people might not enjoy this idea of 'fun'.

Empathy shouldn't be enforced as a rule, as much as I want the police to arrive at camp and move on the backpackers doofing til 3 am or a system where you can dob in people who leave their trash behind to recieve hefty fines, or death by firing squad to those who leave campfires unattended or remove baby wombats from their mothers. Empathy should be about awareness - about realising that your joy shouldn't cost someone else's peace and happiness.

It's about realising that your blasting music doesn't affect one grumpy couple but ruins the atmosphere for everyone within earshot. That pushing your way forward isn't strength, it's just you being a rude asshole.

Freedom isn't about doing whatever we want. It's only meaningful if it's also responsible, and in our shared open spaces in this beautiful country, it should be respecting the silence, the land, the other people here to commune with country, who have as much right to be there as you do.

There's only one way that I see to fix this, and that's to shift things culturally so that kindness and consideration are cool again. I long for parents who teach kids to pick up after themselves and to stand back and notice others, and wonder if their behaviour will bother people around them. That's where it starts - not merely about playing music at camp all night, but believing that other people matter, and that we act like they do.

This was written in response to @galenkp's QOTW about our thoughts on greed and selfishness and how they pertain to us and society in general.