I was recently introduced to an experiment known as the Mouse Haven or more officially Mortality-Inhibiting Environment for Mice, and a specific project known as Universe 25.
Below some musings on outliers, group identity & preference cascades
Most people will confirm via group peer pressure to the tribal identity stereotypes that they personally resonate with the most. Racial, political, occupational, etc
Despite what they may personally believe
Thus via sunk cost fallacy this becomes a spiral which can transform into a vortex, creating malleable opinion blocks via preference falsification
(When groups collectively pretend an obvious lie isn't a lie)
Reinforced via real or fabricated threats to the group
The spiral is self reinforcing
The vortex is not easily escapable without outside assistance
However, by design new ideas cannot penetrate
Thus we can predict the preferences of society via merely surveying the landscape of identities
Leading to our current cultural malaise
Enter those immune to group dynamics
The weirdos, the "actual" neuro-atypicals, the real freaks, the autists, the rebels, geniuses, whackos, perverts, the people who just don't give a fuck, the crazies, the insane and deranged
Once everyone defines themselves by their group identities, the only avenue for change is the ones who don't fit neatly into these narrow boxes.
The true misfits, culturally we've gotten to the point we're everything is accepted, nothing is forbidden. The mad lads who still can't fit in, who continue to say the Emperor has no clothes. They are the likeliest vector for large scale societal change.
They're the only ones able to work outside the prescribed guidelines of acceptable discourse. They're completely unpredictable but they can ignore propriety, speak uncomfortable truths & actually bring about change.
The misfits may actually the main source of novel societal ideas during times of high preference falsification
Normally in Preference Cascade theory. Everyone is oppressed, (Eastern Europe behind the Red Curtain) until one person gets tired of it, he raises his pitchfork and another man raises a pitchfork until the plebeians are attacking the authority with torches and pitchforks.
(Though often this can be forestalled via massacring those shoots that spring up)
Now let us return to our society, as everything is permitted few are considered misfits., however if we posit that misfits function as dry tinder during preference cascades. We could then make the assumption that a preference cascade can be snuffed out.
Leading to misfits/social outliers being a source of creative energy, social dynamism and protection against authoritarianism.
Which sadly doesn't work once we accept and affirm the outcasts.
There may be an ideal ratio of social outliers to normies in society.
And while no one's making fun of guys cosplaying while playing DnD in their parents basement anymore. Those geeks ended up revolutionizing the world. Maybe it was partially based out of frustration that geeks went on to build Facebook, Google, Apple etc and lacking that friction we delay the next groundbreaking idea.
The outliers perhaps don't need a hug, by being left out of the mainstream, they may be empowered to 1 keep a check on mainstream culture 2 Discover / Create exceptional things outside the accepted norms
Interesting Rebecca
Below some musings on outliers, group identity & preference cascades
Most people will confirm via group peer pressure to the tribal identity stereotypes that they personally resonate with the most. Racial, political, occupational, etc
Despite what they may personally believe
Thus via sunk cost fallacy this becomes a spiral which can transform into a vortex, creating malleable opinion blocks via preference falsification
(When groups collectively pretend an obvious lie isn't a lie)
Reinforced via real or fabricated threats to the group
The spiral is self reinforcing
The vortex is not easily escapable without outside assistance
However, by design new ideas cannot penetrate
Thus we can predict the preferences of society via merely surveying the landscape of identities
Leading to our current cultural malaise
Enter those immune to group dynamics
The weirdos, the "actual" neuro-atypicals, the real freaks, the autists, the rebels, geniuses, whackos, perverts, the people who just don't give a fuck, the crazies, the insane and deranged
Once everyone defines themselves by their group identities, the only avenue for change is the ones who don't fit neatly into these narrow boxes.
The true misfits, culturally we've gotten to the point we're everything is accepted, nothing is forbidden. The mad lads who still can't fit in, who continue to say the Emperor has no clothes. They are the likeliest vector for large scale societal change.
They're the only ones able to work outside the prescribed guidelines of acceptable discourse. They're completely unpredictable but they can ignore propriety, speak uncomfortable truths & actually bring about change.
The misfits may actually the main source of novel societal ideas during times of high preference falsification
Normally in Preference Cascade theory. Everyone is oppressed, (Eastern Europe behind the Red Curtain) until one person gets tired of it, he raises his pitchfork and another man raises a pitchfork until the plebeians are attacking the authority with torches and pitchforks.
(Though often this can be forestalled via massacring those shoots that spring up)
Now let us return to our society, as everything is permitted few are considered misfits., however if we posit that misfits function as dry tinder during preference cascades. We could then make the assumption that a preference cascade can be snuffed out.
Leading to misfits/social outliers being a source of creative energy, social dynamism and protection against authoritarianism.
Which sadly doesn't work once we accept and affirm the outcasts.
There may be an ideal ratio of social outliers to normies in society.
And while no one's making fun of guys cosplaying while playing DnD in their parents basement anymore. Those geeks ended up revolutionizing the world. Maybe it was partially based out of frustration that geeks went on to build Facebook, Google, Apple etc and lacking that friction we delay the next groundbreaking idea.
The outliers perhaps don't need a hug, by being left out of the mainstream, they may be empowered to 1 keep a check on mainstream culture 2 Discover / Create exceptional things outside the accepted norms