Societal Consistency

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how our society has been splitting in half. Let’s take this image as an example of the extreme thinking that a significant portion of the American people have.

The argument demonstrated in the few sentences above is based on the idea that fascism is coming and will end our lives as we know it. They sincerely believe that the world is out to get them, most of the country is evil, and the only solutions are to eliminate their aggressors or end themselves.

Second Amendment aside, no one is encouraging others who are in an unstable mental state to carry or use a weapon of any type. Given how many shootings we’ve seen lately where the motivation was racial, religious, political, transgender, or ideologically based, it’s an incredibly poor decision to allow their enraged mentality opportunities to hurt others.

This all begs the question, though: How does a large group of anything demonstrate the exact same behavior? Control. They’re being manipulated by the same sources, while their peer group (similarly influenced) provides a feedback loop that amplifies the original signal.

I see this behavior fairly consistently throughout. Unsuspecting people going about their lives all hear the same message on the news. They allow it to occupy space in their brain. It festers until they can release the stress that comes with it (ideally in company). They either unload that burden onto someone who hasn’t yet heard this snippet of information or the receiving end agrees and confirms their belief that this revelation is potentially apocalyptic.

The problem is that when someone agrees, they don’t simply nod and go along. Conversations typically involve adding their two cents or fixing gaps in their understanding. This agreement serves as nothing more than amplification, and we all know that misery loves company. Now both parties share in that same burden, a bond with trust is formed, and they’re ready to actively oppose anyone who feels otherwise or questions their beliefs.

Cults are formed when this methodology and easily manipulated people mix. We see the result, but the cause is the real issue.

Now, the ones who want control find the source, pump money and/or blackmail into the mix, and suddenly the powerful become significantly more powerful. Meanwhile, citizens are trying to make sense of the hysteria, fighting amongst themselves over these new “facts” they’re dealing with. Never once do they consider if any of it is true. That doesn’t matter, though. They have peers who agree and support their beliefs. The larger that group becomes, the closer to reality all of it seems, as they’re all repeating the same lines.

/1620

Discussion here: https://x.com/cmcwain/status/1829964889261023337