Why is privacy important?

Question

I like my privacy, as I assume most of you do. But I can't put into words just why I want it so bad. And that strikes me as very odd. If I can't even put it into words, how can I say that my personal privacy is so important that it should make it harder for the police to catch a criminal? What benefit does individual privacy have to society as a whole, so that it should be a protected right?

Can you help me out? Why is privacy so desireable? Does it do the group as a whole any good? Or is it just a primitive instinct that no longer serves a function? Or even less than that, some sort of modern cultural fetish?

Answer 1

Because we live in a global community, we need this system to prove that we are who we say we are.

In the past, our ancestors lived in smaller communities where everyone knew you and your family, but now there are so many people, some who, by coincidence, may have the same name.

Answer 2

hm..that's thought-provoking. in my limited view...i might say privacy and (and maybe you are also referring to space) helps me preserve my sanity. it helps me be myself without another's judgment. privacy makes me feel like an individual and not just an insignificant entity in a group. it helps me see myself more clearly, and builds up my sense of self. and by building that, perhaps i am much better able to maintain my sense of identity when with others. i think it is one of the human adult "needs" and perhaps even in primitive societies, they needed and perhaps even aspired for that in their daily lives. I think it is a healthy thing to give to a person - even if they might think they they might not need that space and privacy.

good question btw! :)
maybe my thought's aren't exactly on the mark....but.

Answer 3

It’s often an issue of trust.