The danger is that undertow will take you in a direction that is different than the direction you think you are going. In fact, a direction that is dangerous. Undertow takes you out to sea when the waves appear to be taking you toward the shore. Have you ever been in undertow and felt what that is like?
There are many forces at work in nature that have a similar characteristic. Its not apparent or visible to normal sight, and it can take you somewhere that is different than what you think, maybe even to somewhere that is dangerous.
You may have heard, "all nature seeks equilibrium." You see the force of equilibrium especially in economics and ecology. In human behavior it is the force of equilibrium that holds relationships together. This force is deep seated in the nature of humans and their institutions. This force is called "social exchange." Social exchange is a theory claiming that people naturally give in order to receive and when they receive, they return in order to keep the relationship in balance. Social exchange is essentially reciprocity based in the human obsession with justice.
Where is the danger?
People submit themselves to institutions in order to receive some goods or services from the institution. Social exchange explains why employees stay with their employer and employers seek to keep their employees through reward systems. When employees believe the reward is insufficient exchange for their labor, they leave. When employers believe the compensation for the employee is too much of an exchange, the employer eliminates the employee.
You might say, "this seems reasonable to me, where's the danger?" Good question. Danger is likely not apparent because this looks normal on the surface, like the waves taking everything toward shore.
Let's look beneath the surface to the nature of the exchange. One party, the employees, receive goodies from the institution they cannot produce for themselves. What do they give in return? They give control to the institution. The institution is willing to give goodies to people as long as the people do what the institution wants. If this balance satisfies both parties, then the relationship remains intact.
The danger is that the institution may slowly and subtly grab control to the point that the people cannot get back their liberty. If you are old enough, you have likely heard the old Tennessee Williams' song, "I owe my soul to the company store." This is a recognition that often organizations "enslave" workers because the employees believe they cannot live without the goodies provided by the company.
The same thing happens with government. The public looks to government for goods and services. In return government desires to control aspects the public's life. Over time, does the relationship evolve into the public being in bondage, so to speak, to government? History has shown this occurs time and time again. The public wakes up one day and they have gone out to sea, not toward the shore.
Social exchange is an undertow. It is a force at work in relationships. It is not apparent relationships of fair exchange take one party to a greater and greater sense of obligation to the other party. As long as institutions, like companies and government, value control where they provide benefits of product and services to others, the end game of the members of the institution is a loss of freedom.
"Beware of the undertow." When things look attractive on the surface, it's possible you may find yourself far out to sea and not safely on the shore. Certainly worth pondering .....
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