Before the Rules
A reflection on the intuitive foundations of social norms.
Welcome
Recent Posts
Anarchy, Democracy and the Foundations of Order
Democratic and Anarchist traditions are different in focus, but share some of the same foundations. Both are threatened by unchecked power.
From Outrage To Understanding: Restoring Substance in a Performative Culture
The key to changing the world for the better isn’t signalling virtue through performance. It’s responsibility and self-regulation.
Theater of Righteousness
When moral performance masquerades as moral substance, outrage overshadows resolution. This article explores the inherent dangers that appear when morality becomes theater.
Bias, Blame, and Outrage Culture: Why Reflection Matters More Than Being Right
People tend to rely on heuristics and automatic processing in order to navigate daily life with speed and efficiency. This tendency fuels the cultural shift toward outrage and moral performance.
Between the Shouting and The Silence
In a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 61% of Americans reported feeling stressed when talking to people with opposing political views. That figure alone paints a grim picture of our national dialogue. Faced with discomfort, most people retreat to one of two instinctual responses: confrontation or avoidance. And so, our politics divide.
On one end, we have the loud and combative. The are quick to vilify anyone who challenges their tribe. On the other, the silent and withdrawn. They keep their beliefs close and their conversations safer still.
Beyond Protest: The Purposeful Path of Non-Conformity
Non-comformity without purpose or reflection becomes dissent without understanding, and to conformity without agency.
Echoes
We don’t always know the impact of seemingly insignificant, often forgotten actions we take in everyday life.
Recent Posts