It seems we often follow the masses like sheep out of fear of ostracism - we are scared that we will be branded 'the black' sheep and be cast out of the system. And so we carry out wrongful deeds supposedly 'safe' in the knowledge that everyone else around us is doing the same.

Just because everyone else is shitting in their bed, though, does that really mean it's an enjoyable experience for us to do it also?

Something which appears rarely discussed is that if we look at our social system carefully, it often seems that everyone is ostracisizing themselves willfully and purposefully.

When a pedestrian is being attacked by a criminal or suffering some kind of other trauma, people often stand by and watch.

'An englishman's home is his castle'.

'Business and friendship shouldn't be mixed', etc. etc.

We often seem to convince ourselves that we have friends - even a loving partner, and yet how many of them can we really rely on? - To trust them with the things we hold dearest to our hearts? Are they really that unattached by cravings and desires, and are they so honest with us?

From the point we decide to make a run for what we believe is right - and lose the cover we have been hiding beneath, maybe we won't suffer any more ostracism than we have been bringing on ourselves through our shallow and pretentious relationships with our neighbours and community.

Who knows; maybe we will feel more accepted and integral to our community...