Everybody's Business Is Nobody's Business Or, Private Abuses, Public Grievances; Exemplified in the Pride, Insolence, and Exorbitant Wages of Our Women, Servants, Footmen, &c.

"Everybody's Business Is Nobody's Business" by Daniel Defoe, is a sharp commentary on early 18th-century society, particularly focusing on the rising demands and perceived disrespectful attitudes of household servants. It paints a humorous, yet critical, picture of how the inflated wages and prideful behavior of maidservants are burdening families and disrupting societal order. The author argues these issues extend beyond individual households, leading to wider problems like a decline in respect for authority and the setting of bad examples for younger generations. The pamphlet suggests reforms with the intention of controlling servant behavior, including limiting wages, and clearly distinguishing their status through dress codes. Through satire, the author explores the need for societal corrections to reestablish order and respect in a time of perceived social decline.