In a contract, there are always two parties and the contract gets signed only when both the parties agree to its provisions. Similarly life in the society is also a contract between the individuals who form the society. Each one has to take due care that the other one agrees to your way of behavior—one to the other. It is only then that social life can go on smoothly; the contract can stand in order. But in doing so, one must make adjustments, one must accommodate others. It is like this. While travelling in a bus or a train if there is a seat for two, the third man can be offered the corner of a seat but it is feasible only if the two already sitting squeeze in a little, make a little adjustment and curtail their liberty of comfortable sitting. So does it happen in the society. You have the liberty to dress yourself in whatever manner you please—you can just be in a vest and shorts inside your home but before coming outside, you have to take care that you are decently dressed. You can play the violin at your home but it will be unethical go up on the top roof at midnight with your orchestra and play it at a full volume. The neighbours have a right to a sound undisturbed sleep even though you have the liberty to play upon your musical instruments. They have the liberty and right to sleep. This signifies that your liberty gets curtailed at times to accommodate the liberty of others. The road is there for everyone to move but the rule of the road demands you to move on your left and not anywhere and everywhere; otherwise, there would be confusion, collision and chaos. Liberty is, therefore, everybody’s but it has to be accommodative of others’ liberty. That alone would allow social life to run smooth.
Vocabulary
Smoothly—in smooth manner
Curtail—cut down