The appearance of busyness reinforces the perception of causality, of the link between results, and one's role in them. - Nassim Nicholas Taleb

In an antique city-state, or a modern municipality, shame is the penalty for the violation of ethics — making things more symmetric. Banishment and exile, or, worse, ostracism were severe penalties — people did not move around voluntarily and considered uprooting a horrible calamity. In larger organisms like the mega holy nation-state, with a smaller role for face-to-face encounters, and social roots, shame ceases to fulfill its duty of disciplinarian.

"Making sense and being right are not the same ting" (sic) -- Fat Tony

Try to be predictable to your friends and unpredictable to your enemies, rather than the opposite.