A story about communities and people
I am not sure where I first read a version of this story, but I have been unable to find it on the internet. I will write it down here as best as I can remember it, which is probably going to deviate a lot from the original one due to my memory not being especially good. Apologies to the original author, in advance.
There was once a beautiful great lake, full of fish. Around this lake, 10 fishermen had their houses.
These fishermen had already lived there for many years, many generations probably, and they are used to going out on the lake every morning on their small boats, fishing, and then coming back home to cook what they got in their nets and sell the rest of the fish to the local town.
Since technology advanced the last few decades, these fishermen have accumulated a lot of electronics, home appliances, new boats, new cars, etc etc. The local town is always hungry for some fresh lake fish, so there has always been a market for these fishermen. However, this lake being far from the town, unfortunately means that the 10 houses around the lake are not connected to some sewage system, and there is no garbage truck going all the way to the lake from the city and doing the rounds of all the 10 houses. Thus, the fishermen are responsible for taking their own garbage to some far away location where a garbage bin exists.
Sometimes, though, doing that seemed - and still seems - tiring and unnecessary to the fishermen. The lake is just next to the house, can’t it handle a few plastic bags full of probably mostly food leftovers? The fish might even eat it, it won’t go to waste!
So, this too has been going on for a few years.
One day, the fishermen get together because they all have lately noticed dead fish in the lake. They also mention that sometimes their wives find plastic things inside the fish that they bring home. Even a few customers have complained that the fish they bought from some of the fishermen smell and look bad.
So, the fishermen understand that they must stop throwing garbage in the lake, and clean it up as soon as possible. Also, they should organize a truck to come and take their garbage. Plus, they agree to do some regular checks of the quality of the water of the lake.
These things, though, require money, and some of the 10 fishermen are hesitant to provide money for a garbage truck. One says “I have never, ever, thrown a garbage bag in the lake! I don’t understand why I have to pay for a garbage truck for all you lazy people! You ruined the water, I am not paying for anything!”
Another one says, pointing at another fisherman: “My house is closest to the town and his house is 20 kilometers away, at the farthest point from the main road. I should be paying far less for the truck than him! He should pay more!”
Another one says: “I agree that we need to do regular checks on the quality of the water of the lake, and we can hire some company to do that, but I do not agree with hiring a garbage truck. Everyone is capable of taking their own garbage out, but we are not able to check the water. Everyone should at least do what they are capable of.”
In the end, after a lot of heated discussions, the 10 fishermen agree that the plan will only work if all of them agree on it. Everyone understands that the lake should be cleaned up, and kept clean. They all agree to hire a garbage truck, and pay equal amount of money for it. They agree to pay equally for everything. Every one of the 10 fishermen will pay for 1/10 of the total cost to clean the lake, and 1/10 of the monthly cost for the garbage truck and the regular checking of the water.
They agree on this, because they realize they have no way to validate how much garbage each one of them has actually thrown in the lake, on purpose or by accident, how many fish each one of them has fished, and how to account for everything related to fuel costs for the garbage truck and other pollution they might cause, for example with their boats (they don’t have the exact same boats after all).
And they understand and agree that if not all of them agree on this, then there is still going to be garbage in the lake, pollution in the fish they eat and sell. And some of them already have grandkids, who they want to leave a nice house-by-the-lake to, and the lake must be clean for them too, and their great-grand-children!
So, it happens. A few months later, the lake is already far cleaner, the fish seem healthier, and the fishermen are happy.
Well, not all of them. One of them soon starts to complain again. He says: “Fuel costs more now, the garbage truck driver is asking for more money. The company that checks the water is also going to increase their costs soon! But I can’t sell my fish for a higher value, people won’t buy them! I don’t have any more money to give, I am out of the deal! I don’t have any kids, I don’t really care about what happens to the lake after I am gone. I am even going to be paying for more fuel to take my garbage out myself if the garbage truck skips a day, but I have done the calculations and it’s going to be cheaper for me. I am out!”
And so, he starts being less careful with his garbage, soon throwing stuff in the lake again.
Then, another fisherman decides if that other guy is going to behave like that, then he too can save some money, so he announces he is out of the deal too.
Luckily, the rest of the fishermen are still in the deal they made. However, the lake is slowly started to get polluted again. They see it in the fish, and the water testing company says “The lake is getting polluted again. With this rate, there will be no fish in 20 years from now”.
But what can these 8 fishermen do? They suffer day after day, because those 2 fishermen do not have the same worries about the future that they do.
The end.
Now, the lessons from this story are many, and it is intentionally left unfinished, to check what each reader assumes can or will happen in the future.
Some might say that the fishermen need to plead with the town authorities, or to a higher government authority. Maybe to a third-party institution, or a non-profit organization. Maybe all of the above.
Others might say that the 2 fishermen have their own right to their own freedom and their own choices.
Others might see both and more sides.
There is a lake. The lake has been there for millions of years. The lake does not strictly belong to anyone. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. But if definitely did not belong to anyone for the last 3000 or so years.
The fish do not belong to anyone. The fishermen may or may not hold a fishing license and fishing equipment, though.
This natural beauty, that is essential for the survival of some people and provides happiness to hundreds more, is being ruined, in the end, by 2 people.