One goal of law – as we learn in law school from the first day of contracts – is to deter bad behavior. Marvin Ammori
Bad behavior is not (and should not be) tolerated in any society. It usually reflects a lack of good manners, insecurity and a great deal of selfishness.
People or nations’ bad behavior is usually penalized by sanctions. When I was a child, misbehaving in the classroom meant banishment (in a kneeling position) to a corner of the room.
Sanctions can take different forms; it can be restriction on admission, freezing of assets, economic sanctions, but the most feared punishment is ostracism. In ancient Greece, it was the temporary banishment from a city by popular vote. In modern times it is the exclusion of a person from a society or group.
Especially relevant, if you misbehave repeatedly you will be excluded, denied access to activities enjoyed by all.
Different societies have been using different types of ostracism for a long time. During the Black Death plague epidemic in seventeenth-century Venetian, all ships were required to be isolated for forty days (quaranta giorni) before passengers and crew could go ashore.
In Amish society, shunning is imposed for bad behavior. It means emotional distance, social rejection by an entire congregation.
Many pétanque players unconsciously abide by the same Amish code. If you clash repeatedly with your fellow players, soon or later you will be shunned. And you will live to regret it.
Remember, you sleep in the bed you made. If dark clouds come your way, there will be nobody to blame but yourself.
Alain