Annotation 2 (Revised)

The conflicts between individuals' and society's interests are hard to solve. Individuals may claim that they have inviolable interests. The side of society may emphasize its priority. No one is willing to make concession easily. How to gain the most interests and lessen violation to both sides? The article points out that the solution to this kind of conflicts is communication and empathy and finding the balance between society and individuals. Basically, I think there is no one is willing to lose his or her interests. The best situation is everyone gets which his or her want and has no loss. Individuals have innate interests that no one can violate as the article says. People establish society and its norms to bind everyone together. Therefore, they will follow the norms which often relate to maintaining and gaining public interests.

Generally speaking, society's interests don't come into existent groundless. It must have some foundation to form it. This foundation just comes from individuals. For example, if people want to manage the garbage collection, they may establish the correlative rules that people can only throw out their garbage in fixed sites and time. Discarding garbage arbitrarily is inadmissible. The cost of this action is inconvenience to individuals. They have to go to specific sites in time instead of anywhere and any time. That is a restriction, and even a sacrifice of rights and convenience. On the other hand, this measure brings a clean public space. You won't see discarded garbage everywhere. It's not only for society's own good but also individuals'. Everyone shares the public spaces. Sometimes there are some people don't obey the rules. After communication and education, this insubordination disappears gradually.

    Of course the interests are desirable. However, they are not free. Sacrifice is usually necessary no matter what the type is. The problems are how much the cost of a society's policy decision and how much individuals can sacrifice. It can be nothing or a matter of life and death. Society's interests may mean many individuals' interests. When the majority and minority fail to meet each other and want to defend respective interests, the conflicts start. The minority may surrender to the majority. Also, the latter may give way to the former. After all, sacrifice is inevitable. Thus, finding out the extent that both sides can accept by negotiation and empathy is very important.

Reference:

Hsu, R.J. & Chen, A.C. (2012). 左右看: 如何解決個人與群體利益衝突。Retrieved November 4, 2013, from

http://www.lihpao.com/?action-viewnews-itemid-118390