A Prequel to "What AI is learning about us Humans"
Something strange happens when people encounter questionable situations in everyday life. Instead of addressing them with common sense, they either:
hide behind the law—saying, "Well, the law allows it, so it’s fine.", or call for more laws—demanding stricter regulations to dictate what should be obvious.
Take the person in a bar taking a picture of you without asking. Technically legal in some countries, but should you have to accept it? Instead of recognizing the discomfort it causes, people either shrug it off or ask for stricter privacy laws.
This isn’t an isolated example. We see it everywhere:
✔️ Loud Speakerphone Conversations in Public – Just because you can blast your private conversation in a café doesn’t mean you should.
✔️ Filming Someone in Distress – Instead of helping, bystanders record accidents or fights. No law forbids it, but shouldn’t we ask what’s right?
✔️ Overly Aggressive Marketing Calls – If someone says no, why keep pushing?
✔️ Blasting Music on Public Transport – No law stops you, but what about basic courtesy?
✔️ Hovering in Personal Space – Just because you can stand inches from someone in a queue doesn’t mean it’s comfortable.
✔️ Droning Over Private Property – It might be legal, but should people have to accept strangers flying cameras over their homes?
✔️ Endless Email Spam with a Useless ‘Unsubscribe’ – Legally compliant, yet still disrespectful.
✔️ Refusing to Move for Someone Needing a Seat – No one has to give up their seat—but what happened to basic decency?
✔️ Overly Persistent Street Solicitors – When does persistence turn into harassment?
✔️ Recording Conversations Without Consent – If the law says it’s fine, does that make it right?
Different cultures approach these issues in their own ways. In Japan, respect and social harmony often discourage intrusive behavior. In some European countries, there’s growing acceptance of surveillance, while in others, there’s pushback against it.
Opinions vary, laws vary.
💡 Laws are for people in a specific region and culture. What is wanted in one place, may have no support in another.
💡 Laws reflect the thinking of their time and can be influenced by those in power. What was once acceptable may no longer be, and vice versa.
Laws provide structure, but they aren’t perfect. That’s why we need an additional safeguard—one that works alongside the law, not against it.
Common sense could be that safeguard. If we abandon our own judgment and rely solely on laws to dictate behavior, we give up a critical form of say. But if common sense remains intact, it can act as a real improvement—a natural voice grounded in traditional respect, reinforcing what laws sometimes fail to capture.
🔹 Can we as a society agree on what is right or wrong, what is respectful and what is disrespectful, what is privacy and what is overreach, in addition to what the law says?
Disclaimer
The companies and organizations mentioned in this article are referenced for informational and analytical purposes only. All discussions about their potential roles and interests in space-based data centers are based on publicly available information and do not imply any endorsement, partnership, or direct involvement unless explicitly stated. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official positions of the companies mentioned. All trademarks, logos, and company names are the property of their respective owners.
#CommonSense #Respect