HEARTS OF THE CITY: Exploring attitudes and issues behind the news.

A rotating panel of experts from the worlds of philosophy, psychology and religion offer their perspective on the dilemmas that come with living in Southern Calidfornia.

Today’s question: On a crowded freeway, what do we say about ourselves and public civility when we speed up to block another driver from moving into our lane? What ethical or moral rules can help change our behavior? Father Thomas P. Rausch

Chairman of the Theology Department, Loyola Marymount University

“We Los Angelenos spend so much of our lives on freeways. It can be time wasted, but also time for personal reflection, particularly when we are alone. Solitary drivers have a kind of privacy in the midst of a crowd. Some sing or talk to themselves. Some listen to music or pray. Others shout curses at the traffic or react aggressively to minor irritations. Observing how we respond when someone seeks the right of way can be revelatory. It helps us to see what lies inside. Consideration for others? Generosity? Meanness? Rage? Like the ancient Greeks, who counseled ‘know yourself,’ we find out much about who we are.”

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Dr. Havanpola Ratanasara

President of the College of Buddhist studies in Los Angeles

“My journey, my need, my position is not all. When I was in Sri Lanka, my teacher asked someone to bring him boiled water. A monk went to the kitchen and immediately brought hot water. The superior said, ‘Why did you bring this water so quickly?’ ‘Because I thought you needed it,’ the monk replied. ‘No. You shouldn’t have done it. How do you know this hot water was not for someone else?’ The same for drivers. When the monk had an important errand, he said, ‘I’m in a hurry.’ The superior replied, ‘That is the reason I ask you to go slow. You will otherwise make mistakes.’ ”

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Rabbi Joel Rembaum

Senior rabbi at Temple Beth Am and president of the Southern California Board of Rabbis

“Over 50% of the surface of Los Angeles is devoted to the automobile. The ethics of driving play a major role in shaping and expressing the morality of Southern California culture. There is an ancient Jewish maxim that defines the ethical attributes of L.A.’s drivers: ‘Some say, “Mine is mine and yours is yours”--this is the average trait. Some say, “Yours is mine and mine is mine”--this is the trait of the scoundrel. Some say, “Mine is yours and yours is yours”--this is the trait of the saintly.’ If we had more saintly drivers, our accident rate would go down and we would have a kinder and gentler society.”

Compiled by LARRY B. STAMMER , Times Religion Writer