The following is a thread for my internet friend @_jordan_bates, who said it's almost impossible to find "a castle of concepts" or "a whole new module" for perceiving the world. Here are some of mine. Let's start meta: high-res vs low-res models:
Next up is Menworld – a thought experiment describing the "subculture" or "cult" of masculinity that so much of the world buys into that many simply see it as "the world". Recognizing it doesn't mean you can escape it, but it can give you some space
Just as the WWE is a TV show ABOUT a wrestling show, modern news media is a participatory-interactive TV show ABOUT the news. With real consequences, which make it more exciting. We're all collaboratively coauthoring the shared social fictions of our time
Socializing involves polite fictions. People are bad at lying on multiple fronts, so they'll often accidentally reveal their true beliefs about X when they're dunking on Y. (Journaling obsessively is a great way to later discover your own hidden beliefs)
Here's a module I'm a big fan of: fashion! "what's fashionable or unfashionable about this?" "what would this look like if it were fashionable?" "how will this eventually become unfashionable?" fashion is a status + signalling game, nothing is immune
Another: games and meta-games. What game are we playing here? What game are you playing? Are we playing "my game is better than your game"? Are we playing the "let's break out of this game" game? Are we having fun?
How it's possible to paint a dishonest picture by telling selective truths, and how we all do it because narrative bias and selection bias – and this applies to every person you meet, every book on your shelf, and most of your own internal dialogue
This was slightly geeky and clunky (older than most of the rest), but the underlying model has been really useful to me
only 3 variables that matter
sensitivity (observe)
smarts (process)
strength (act)
use them to nourish and nurture others
only 3 variables that matter
sensitivity (observe)
smarts (process)
strength (act)
use them to nourish and nurture others
"Echo chamber" is phrase that can be used to dismiss anybody who has taken the trouble to design an apparatus for processing info. But every serious info operator HAS to do it. Refuse to weed your garden, and your flowers will die + be overrun with weeds
Sensitivity as a critical missing link in the chain that humans depend on to coordinate and flourish. We need to get better at lowering our defenses so that we can help and heal each other
Change is hard. Homeostasis is powerful. We have limited time and energy. Collecting information can actually be counter-productive. Rather, we need to move fast to create experiences that allow us to make micro-shifts in our identities and beliefs
A simple metaphor to convey a massive source of conflict and disagreement: different people have radically different experiences. Your friends' parents might seem nice to you, but it could be because they're only nice when you're around. Etc
a reflection on how whisper networks take years, decades, maybe centuries to achieve their goals – and how it's necessary to be strategic about paradigm-shifting comms, and a glimpse of how to do that (hint: jokes)
communication happens in a marketplace, and the marketplace can have a lemon problem – ie you have no way to signal "I am good", since malicious agents can do the same – and you have to take this into account when participating in the marketplace
principles of community and conflict management – this image alone is worth the RT. we cannot help but misunderstand each other, and we should account for this
people like to help others, but they don't like to be given responsibilities. they want to have fun helping, but they don't want to do the work of figuring out how to help. a thread about getting better at asking for help (tldr: make specific, finite asks)
suicide is considered by many people to be desertion, and is punished as such
I believe that it's often a sign of system failure, but the system is designed to deflect and redirect the blame to the individual
I believe that it's often a sign of system failure, but the system is designed to deflect and redirect the blame to the individual
Just realised that I left out “on Twitter” in the starting tweet. D’oh! Anyway thanks @_jordan_bates for finally getting me off my ass and curating a better thread of my best threads! I love you ❤️
Using Mean Girls to appreciate geopolitics; or How State Actors Mimick Teenage Girls
