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Anti-lockdown protestors arrested near Glen Waverley Shopping Centre , Melbourne . Picture : Paul Jeffers / News Corp Australia
I want to break free
Why do some people need to break the rules ?
By Wade Zaglas
Monday 11 October was proclaimed “ freedom day ” for Sydney residents who were double vaccinated , allowing them some extra privileges such as getting a wellearned haircut , visiting retail stores , and even visiting a pub for a coldie .
But while the majority of residents were well-behaved and acted within the parameters of ongoing restrictions , a minority treated the day as a bit of a free for all , congregating at beaches in numbers well beyond the current limits .
Adding to this , Alexi Boyd , chief executive of Small Business Australia , told Today that retail and other small-business traders were under a lot of pressure , including verifying mandating customer vaccinations .
“ There is lots to consider at the moment . Small businesses are probably worried about whether or not they can bring their staff back on board at full capacity ,” he said .
“ They are worried about mandating vaccines with their customers and maybe a little behaviour that might not be so helpful .”
The chief of Small Business Australia has called for calm and respect towards employees .
“ What we are asking people is be patient , be kind , be considerate of that small business owner and people working for them . Don ’ t take out your frustrations especially on them .”
This disregard for the law and rules regarding COVID-19 was visible well before freedom day , with a minority of people not adhering to lockdown measures , mask mandates and even demonstrating on the streets .
So why is this ? Why do some people feel the need to break the rules , become verbally or physically abusive , putting themselves and the rest of the community at risk ?
A recent article in Macquarie University ’ s Lighthouse publication , co-authored by a social-evolutionary psychologist and a criminologist , provides some insight into why such anti-establishment or anti-authority behaviour exists .
The social-evolutionary psychologist ’ s perspective Associate professor Trevor Case , from the university ’ s department of psychology , begins by referring to a recent study about mask-wearing conducted in Canada and the US that found in excess of 85 per cent of people were complying fully with maskwearing regulations . On the other hand , a significant 10 to 15 per cent were only partially compliant in wearing their masks in publically mandated areas , or didn ’ t follow the mask mandates at all .
“ Originally , I thought it might be highstatus people who would break these rules more than others , because there is a weight of empirical evidence in social psychology that people who are wealthy and powerful are more likely to follow self-interest than do what other people want ,” Case says .
“ In fact , the evidence shows that highstatus people generally tend to be less empathic , more anti-social and rude when
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