Note: Some of these comments appeared in the Phoenix Arizona Republic

Q: I've been hearing, and seeing, that people are less likely to pull out of the way for firetrucks, ambulances and, to some extent, police cars. We're not talking about the people who are so insulated in their cars that they don't hear and don't pull over until the last minute when they finally do hear; we're talking about those who outright refuse to pull over. Firefighters say they are seeing more people who refuse to pull over, almost challenging them. It's resulting in higher response times. What I am wondering is, what theories do you have on the reasons for this? Is it more about time? Or respect? Or why is it different now than, say, 10 years ago?

A: We live in a hypocritical age. Let me explain. On the one side, our political and moral leaders tell us it is our obligation to sacrifice and take care of everybody else. The Pope and the President say we Americans, especially, are too selfish and greedy, and need to care more for others, and sacrifice for them -- whether we know them or not, and whether they have earned our compassion or not. We're supposed to buy into the idea that we are all each others' keepers. Yet, in the midst of all this sanctimonious lecturing, observe how basic human kindness -- in the non-sacrificial sense -- is on the decline, as evidenced by your observation about emergency vehicles. We also live in an era when everybody is encouraged to indulge his or her feelings, even at the expense of objective reality. It's considered cruel and harsh to tell somebody, "You've got to face reality!" As a result, many people have become so absorbed with their own subjective psyches that they lose touch with what's going on outside of their car window -- out there, in the objective universe of reality. In such a cultural atmosphere, a psychology of quiet rebellion must sooner or later develop. When people are told they must sacrifice for everybody else, and are made to feel guilty for being "selfish Americans," there's a healthy part of them inside which must rebel. Refusing to help somebody out in an emergency -- even if there's no risk or sacrifice on your part, only a minor inconvenience -- might be a way to express this rebellion, if only subconsciously. It's an error, though, because we shouldn't rebel against things like moving out of the way for a rescue vehicle; instead, we should be rebelling against the people who try to get us to feel neurotically guilty for living happy, productive lives.

Q: Are you seeing a decline in other elements of basic human kindness? What other examples are out there? And why is this happening? Your comments about rebellion are very interesting. You think this behavior (i.e. people not moving out of the way of emergency vehicles) is the small type of rebellious activity that's easy to do. Does it make people feel better? Or think they feel better?

A: Yes -- I see it all the time. People cut each other off on the road for no good reason. People don't hold the door for others, even when it's easy or appropriate to do so. When you do hold the door for people, they don't always say thank you. In general, there's an increasing sense in our culture of "I'm entitled." Instead of the earlier American view or sense that people are entitled to pursue their own lives in peace and privacy -- which, in turn, led to a sense of voluntary kindness, benevolence and, in unusual cases, charity -- we today have an opposite kind of culture: one of pressure group warfare, where everybody is entitled to whatever he wants at everyone else's expense. (For example: I have a moral right to health care; to the best education in the world; to college; to day care; to a personal computer; it goes on and on). I don't want to overstate the matter. Strong elements of the older, benevolent American sense still remain, even in younger people; but the more negative view I'm discussing is gaining hold, and the evidence for this is in the slow decay of manners and benevolence you see throughout our society. As far as the rebellion issue goes, to whatever extent it does exist I don't believe it's conscious in most people. People are not necessarily thinking, "I resent the fact people tell me I should sacrifice. I'll show them. I won't get out of the way of this fire engine." Emotions don't generally work that way. But I do believe there is an increasing anger and resentment out there, among many people, and one of the ways this resentment manifests is through the phenomenon we're discussing. Like I said, it's an error and it's not logical -- but emotional issues are not always logical. Does the small rebellion "work" in that it gets people to feel better? No, not other than very short-term. Why? Because it does not get to the root of the matter. People are resentful because others are intimidating them into feeling guilty for unfair reasons. But it's not the fire department's fault. There's nothing unfair about being asked to move out of the way for a fire truck. Those who rebel in such a way are fighting the wrong "enemy." They need to stand up to the people (i.e. the President; the Pope; their bratty teenage sons; and their bossy mothers-in-law) who have no business heaping unwarranted guilt on them. They should not punish the people who are asking for reasonable, non-sacrificial things.