If Meeting Obligations on Time Were the Same as Missing Them, No One Would Meet Them on Time

There are clear theories about this in psychology and sociology — for example, the broken windows effect.

The broken windows theory: when one window is broken and not repaired, it will lead to more windows being broken, and even the whole building being torn down. This "broken windows theory," summarized by the American political scientist Wilson and the criminologist Kelling, holds that the environment can exert a strong suggestive and inducing influence on a person.

Meeting obligations on time is what people are supposed to do, and there is no reward for doing it, so there must be a difference for failing to meet them on time. Otherwise people will tend to just not meet them on time.

As more and more people fail to meet their obligations on time, the Commune cannot continue, and there is no longer any right to speak of for the old members.

Dismissal and locking are also painful for us operators: the user count drops, and we are looked down on by many. But between sustainability and short-term interest, we choose the former. Do the right thing, not the expedient thing.

This is only one aspect of why obligations must be met on time. A later piece will analyze the economic loss that failing to meet obligations brings to members: namely, if a member fails to meet their obligations on time but still enjoys their rights, the other members who did meet their obligations will end up sharing extra costs, which is unfair.