What keeps society from falling into total chaos?

Question

What keeps society from falling into total chaos?

Answer 1

the nature of humans to fix every problem that comes in their way. this may be individual but sum it all together it helps keep balance in ones society.

Answer 2

It would be difficult for me to be objective while answering this question, as the question points to my very beliefs about society and therefore the that I am in my collective sense of humanity. Then in order to make things easy for my I ask – what would happen if everyone were allowed to do whatever they wanted? This in a way is a rephrasing of the same question that you have asked, with only one difference, that now I give the people the control and the power. This is only natural for me to look at the matter with this twist as all people seek power above and beyond everything, and power is the only that, when misused or abused, pulls all things apart, may that be a mind, soul, society or the world.

Then what people do not do, in their own right, whatever they want to do according to the best of their liking or understanding? The answer to this question I think is no other than what is most primitively or instinctively incorporated into every being, it is fear. The fear of the unknown, of dir consequences, of trial and tribulations, of reprimands, or notoriety, of hurt and pain, of loss of love and approbation, of hunger, weakness and of being left alone, the grinding fears of life that keep us alive and well, save and secure, wise and care worthy. We would never bother to agree with one another, compromise, accept consequences or come together in our number to build cities, towns and villages if we were not afraid and in need to comfort and company; we would never bother to know the secrets of lightening, thunder and ocean deep if they did not rouse fear in us; we would not fight disease, invent medicine, and taken measures to prevent harm if we were not afraid of pain, suffering, life and death.

This might sound like an extremist view of life, hinged upon just on basic instinct of human kind, but I think this is great deal of truth in this, and there is wisdom in it this acknowledgement. If we courage to look all around us and have still have mind enough to questions as where on earth we are, in the middle of nowhere, with mind boggling immensity of cold of bleak space all around us, huddled together on this relatively tiny mass of a planet. Are we alone in the universe? Are we completely at the mercy of incidental happenings, and random occurrences, of unknown universal origin? Is there some kind and compassionate God who created all this or everything come into being just by accident? Where do we come from and then where do we go never to return back again?

We ask all these questions sometimes in our chosen words but oft times in our subtle, thoughtless and wordless realisations of various kinds. One might contend here that one is never bothered, never afraid, but then one would be only bluffing himself. We all have questions, the answers to which we endlessly seek sometime by putting our heads together and sometimes, by pitching our heads against one another. I think most would go their own ways if they were not afraid of anything. If they could reach out to skies, across the stretches of time and space, they would scatter by choice. The love that binds us is all is the being within itself, subjected to the fear of losing is own sense.

Answer 3

Humans are drugged into submission.  They use fluoride to suppress the intelligence and character of the world's people.  In the US it's in sodas, in the UK and everywhere else it's in tea.  Soon to be in drinking water.  This keeps the people submissive and susceptible to suggestion.  They also keep the people in fear: have you seen a 'news' broadcast in the last 7 years that didn't mention 'terrorists?'

There is FAR too much 'confirmed' evidence that both 9/11 & 7/7 were false flag operations for that theory to be simply disregarded any more.  There is also absolutely no solid evidence AT ALL supporting what we are told 'endlessly' about those two days by the mass media.  Ergo, the mass media are lying to us all.  Which again keeps us all in fear.

Drugs and fear are how they keep down the human race.  And just look at what they are doing to us.......

Answer 4

answer=confusion

-remember everything is in parodox ever society

Answer 5

Basic human need for security

Answer 6

An fear of authority.

Answer 7

existentialism.

everyone has agreed to do what they can and no more or less.

Answer 8

minds.

Answer 9

What keeps it together, without a doubt is - ignorance, deceit, and religion. As human beings we want to feel secure and be told everything is ok, and we are, constantly. We're on the verge of a nuclear world war and a huge bloody depression, and yet we're all going about our daily lives ignoring the signs, the media has never told us the true story on anything, politicians are just ordinary guys like us speaking big words, law and order is just a joke in this country. And then some of us always have religion to fall back on, patting us on the back "hey your wife just died, but its ok because god will look after you now". But that's all a good thing! If we all took a blind bit of notice and knew the truth on what was going on in the world we'd all go mad

Answer 10

I think authority.  The government, police, people with power.  Also the thought of punishment for doing wrong.

Answer 11

Law and order.

Answer 12

good people

Answer 13

Rules, boundaries and law enforcement

Answer 14

fear and capitalism I imagine. the amazing machinery of self interest coupled with peoples fear of chaos and non relationship to it keeps us in a measure of conformity.

I think I remember reading about how if we all decided to drive how we wanted and toss away the highway code that no one coudl stop us because there isnt enough person-power to maintain the rules - in this case self interest in ones own survival comes to the fore. plus the logic of having rules that help you not to crash.

Answer 15

fear, i would have to say fear of after life(heaven/h**l) in which many believe.

all in all though, fear is what keeps people in line, fear of anything

Answer 16

I have thought about this many times. Society seems so fragile. I think the answer is government. I know we complain about paying taxes, etc, but I think government and sets of rules keeps up moving, if not moving forward

Answer 17

It's guilt!  Guilt is passed on through families.  It makes people do the right thing, otherwise they will feel guilty.  Guilt is the thread that binds society.

Answer 18

Love, wealth and health. Three most important things to have in balance.

Answer 19

God

Answer 20

A very thing wire.

Answer 21

there is a little chaos on every corner,inside peoples houses chaos reigns everyday - 'society' is just this silly tent we all live under which pretends it is protecting us from rain and disaster.

But disaster and strife and life come anyway.

Answer 22

Absolute Truth. There has to be an absolute truth to govern its peoples social behaver and keeps everyone in balance. For the US its the Bible.  Weather you understand this or not its the truth.

Answer 23

That depends on your definition of "total chaos".  Is it total chaos in the middle east?  Is there any society with total chaos?  I don't believe so.  Even seeming madness has an order and a reason to it.... though it may not be as readily apparent.  

If no current society has total chaos then I would assume it has a lot to do with our inherent cooperative quality, present in all primates.  Coupled with our ability to reason and our desire for order.  Humans seek order.... it is exemplified in the way we see a face on the moon, or a face on mars, or pictures in the random spacing of distant stars (constellations).  Wherever we see something that appears chaotic or random we create order..... perhaps it is our defining characteristic.  

As a simple exercise look at a cloud or a stain or a odd burnt smudge on a piece of toast..... you will likely be able to find an image.  Others might even agree with your finding, because that is how the brain is structured.  We reject chaos, and when we encounter it we create an order for it.  Even chaos theory is an orderly theory about chaos.....  hows that for our need for order.

Personally I think chaos is a fallacy..... and humans are smart enough to find the underlying order among a superficially chaotic thing.