Civic sense: a fundamental social contract

A society is not merely a collection of buildings, roads, individuals and institutions. A true society is shaped by the behaviours people adopt toward one another. Where individuals create ease for others, apply the law to themselves and consider social order their own responsibility, a city ceases to be just a "place" and becomes a "community". This attitude is called civic sense - and in truth, civic sense is not an extra virtue; it is the fundamental contract of urban life.

This contract is not written, yet it is renewed every day on the streets, in offices, in classrooms, and in marketplaces. Its essence is simple: we will not place our convenience above others' safety, dignity and rights. We will not treat the road as "mine", but as "ours". We will not see the law as something only for the weak, but as equally binding upon ourselves. We will accept that breaking queues does not make us faster; it makes society slower. We will not throw garbage and assign filth to "someone else", because the cleanliness of the city is also our responsibility. These seemingly small acts are, in fact, the foundations upon which great systems stand.

Once, while leaving the university, I was riding in a car with a professor who often spoke passionately about discipline and civic responsibility. For his personal convenience, he chose to drive the wrong way. A question stirred within me: do words truly translate into conduct? I politely asked, "You often speak of civic responsibility — why this route, then?" The confident reply was, "This is not civic sense; this is common sense." The response was both surprising and painful, because the issue was not merely a road — it was a mindset that treats collective rules as necessary for others but optional for oneself.

Here, the difference between civic sense and so-called "common sense" becomes clear. If common sense were truly sense, it would tell us to abandon any action that puts others at risk. But when "sense" is reduced to nothing more than personal convenience, it ceases to be wisdom and becomes a refined form of selfishness. Civic sense teaches us that alongside "I" exists "we" — and that the right of "we" outweighs the ease of "I".

Tragically, in our society principles often survive as advice, not as practice. We accept the law in books, but forget it on the road. We speak of civility, yet push in queues. We value cleanliness, yet throw garbage with our own hands. We praise civic duty, yet justify the wrong way as "saving a few moments". Gradually, an environment forms in which no one feels responsible for order, and disorder becomes normal.

So where does reform begin? Civic sense is not born merely from enforcement; it grows from example, especially from those whom society views as guides: teachers, officials, elders and influential individuals. In classrooms, students gain information from books, but standards from their teachers' conduct. If discipline is preached but bypassed in practice, the younger generation learns that principles are meant to be spoken, not lived. That mindset then enters institutions, and eventually becomes the temperament of an entire city.

Civic sense is rooted in self-accountability i.e. constantly questioning whether our actions harm others, prioritise selfish convenience or contradict the standards we expect from others. When this inner check remains alive, society thrives; when it fades, a city is reduced to mere buildings, populated but devoid of true social spirit.

Civic sense is, thus, a practical social contract, not just a slogan, requiring small daily acts like following rules, waiting your turn and prioritising the collective good over personal ease. It starts with individuals — when citizens act with character, cities and institutions improve; when they don't, disorder becomes normal and progress remains out of reach.