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Quoting Ran Prieur from 4/8/2020
when the head looks to the world, it can either look for surprise, for stuff that challenges its internal models, or it can look for recognition, for confirmation of its own models. I have a new theory of collapse: that a culture, or an individual, is in danger of psychological collapse, when inside-the-head thinking and confirmation thinking start echoing back and forth, not anchored by enough model-testing thinking.I think is a great refactoring of collapse theory. I also like that it works on both macro and micro scales.
A nation is born stoic, and dies epicurean.
Will Durant.In the stoic growth phase, individuals, organizations, and nations are vigilantly testing. Even if they are working from a static set of principles, they are testing whether the various people who claim they are living up to said principles in fact are.
I'm on a re-read of Pride and Prejudice and in this reading I am stuck with how much of what separates Darcy and Elizabeth from the rest is their how much they seek (and, oops!, sometimes pride themselves too much upon) accuracy.
but I will venture to say that my investigations and decisions are not usually influenced by my hopes or fears
Austen via Mr. Darcy
This quote is in the letter Darcy gives to Elizabeth the day after she rejects his first proposal. It is a long letter, and in the chapter afterward we are treated to a character who changes her mind based on information, working it through the turns of cognition and meta-cognition to get to the truth. Here, moral truths about the characters in a smallish social circle, but still and act of testing. Truth has consequences, and Darcy and Elizabeth make sacrifices to get to it. They are characters in a growth phase.
The same book shows the other side the coin, how the accumulation of wealth allows people to control their environment, basically make pocket realities, with the strongest manifestation being the yes-man.
Miss De Bourgh . .. is unfortunately of a sickly constitution, which has prevented her making that progress in many accomplishments, which she could not otherwise have failed of. . .
Austen via Mr. Collins.
And, straight from the aristocrat's mouth
There are few people in England I suppose, who have more true enjoyment of music than myself, or a better natural taste. If I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient. And so would Anne, if her health would have allowed her to apply. I am confident that she would have performed delightfully. [emphasis added]
Austen via Lady De Bourgh
Saying how great you are is easier than working to be great, And if you can get enough people to agree (or tacitly agree through silence) then you can get ego trips for the cost of opening you mouth (or, in our time, posting orthodoxy to right place of group-think). Once you use your pocket dimension to stop getting back to reality, you grow decadent and are vulnerable to outside reality.
It just now occurs to me how much of this is woven into Infinite Jest: map-versus territory, in-your- head, Eschaton. But even that illustrates part of the strength of Ran's refactoring: on the individual level, you can turn back and experience growth (barring some super entertainment that leaves you wire-headed).
