"The Common Life" Sanders Analysis Essay

In “The Common Life,” an essay by Scott Russell Sanders, the author tells of a woman who moved from Los Angeles to Indiana. She recalls going to the grocery store without anyone recognizing her, and complains about the level of interest in others’ lives in rural Indiana. Sanders believes the individual should build a web of relationships within his or her community. The relationship between the individual and society as a whole is a complicated one. Some may believe that a more community-geared life can lead to nosy people intruding on one’s personal life, it is necessary for an individual to have a certain level of friendliness and openness towards others and it would be difficult for most people to live isolated from human interaction.

Even if a person does not enjoy being around other people, everyone deserves a basic degree of respect from others. People should strive to be amiable and courteous towards other people, even towards individuals with whom they do not get along. A person can choose not to have certain people in his or her life, but if a person chose to frown and ignore everyone else, that person will almost definitely find him or herself in an undesirable position. A person who comes off as closed and unfriendly will most likely antagonize acquaintances, which can prove detrimental to a person’s personal and professional life. People perceived as negative or rude will have a harder time getting a job after an interview or getting promoted in the job they already have. For example, Dwight Schrute from NBC’s The Office, was interviewed by a panel of his colleagues for the job of branch manager. He was a dedicated, well-qualified hard worker. However, his authoritative, paranoid, self-centered personality drove his coworkers to instead choose Robert California to replace Michael Scott as Dunder Mifflin’s regional manager. If he had had a more open, friendlier disposition, his coworkers might have felt honored to make him their boss.