Many good people have the same bias of projecting onto others our high levels...

Many good people have the same bias of projecting onto others our high levels of agency and consciousness. We wish that everyone could operate at our level, because we want the best for them.

This can be disappointing at the interpersonal level; however, since we tend to associate with people like us, it’s not too big of a disaster for society.

When that projecting is done at the level of law and policy, it becomes very dangerous. It leaves the young, foolish, poorly raised, and easily tempted to be preyed upon by the worst types of people.

It is our job, our noblesse oblige, to protect the weak by discerning when liberty is the answer and when paternalism is the answer.