Traffic and the Origins of Evil

Much intellectual energy has been expended over the millennia of human civilization trying to pinpoint the origin of evil.  My experience living in Atlanta on and off for the last ten years has me pretty convinced that it all boils down to one thing - dehumanization.  We've evolved as a community organism, and we all experience strong social and biological constraints against behavior which is damaging to the group; these constraints disappear when we can ignore the consequences we inflict on others by averting our eyes, or dismiss the consequences by devaluing the people that experience them.

Many people will be highly resistant to this argument - we'd like to believe that we're considerate, rational, ethical people.  We'd like to believe we have a since of morals and ethics that guides our behaviors even we aren't being held accountable by the judgmental eyes of our friends and family and society.  If you're one of those people, consider, for a moment, your lifetime of experiences driving your car.

Living and driving in Atlanta, I've experienced a range of behaviors on an hourly basis that range from inconsiderate to abhorrent - I've been cut off, I've watched people cruise alongside a long line of cars and force their way in at the very front to save themselves time.  I've seen screaming, swearing, and a fascinating array of obscene gestures.  I've seen people toss garbage into public spaces; I've seen people crash into others and drive away.  I've done some of these things myself.  I live this every day, as does nearly every other American driver.

Imagine what life would be like if people acted that way outside of their cars?  What would you do if you were waiting in a long line at the bank and someone walked through the doors, marched up to the counter, shoved the next customer out of the way, and proceeded to begin their transaction?  What would you do if they tossed their empty fast food bag on the middle of the floor on the way out?  

Why do people do things every day in their cars that they would never ever do outside of them?  I think it's because they're protected from witnessing the consequences of their selfish choices by the double layer protection of a glass and steel barrier and the assurance whoever they hurt will be left behind, never to be seen again, as they drive away.

I'd like to believe that people are rational, ethical, thoughtful creatures, but if that were really true, driving somewhere during the Atlanta rush hour wouldn't be the nightmarish Hell I've come to expect and accept.