The Other Guy

What about the 'other guy'? For example, if we all decide as a group to do some great thing, but everyone worries about this unknown 'other guy', then chances are that nothing will be done; people are petrified by this concept. It isn't even this 'other guy' doing anything, all it takes is the idea of someone not following the plan and it will all fall apart. Yet people will proclaim their belief in the basic goodness of people-that, "given the chance, yes, of course, people will do the 'right thing'." Sure, which is why in the same breath they will say, "well, i would, but what about the ten percent who aren't with us?" What happens is that we become the 'other guy' by worrying about it when we don't follow through because we worry that someone else won't follow through. What kind of sense does that make? To live in fear, not because of what someone has done, but of what they might do. With no demonstrable cause, we let our own interpretation of someones potential actions dictate what we will do.