Society Archives

Authority Bias: How Leaders Gain Blind Trust

What is authority bias? How do you control the impact of the tendency? Áuthority bias is the tendency to blindly obey and adhere to the beliefs and instructions of authority figures. This tendency makes us vulnerable to manipulation by bad leaders. You can control the effect of this cognitive tendency by being careful when appointing leaders and taking time to verify the soundness of the decision of an authority figure. Read on to learn more about authority bias.

Caste in Indian Society vs. the United States

What are the similarities between the Indian and the American caste systems? What is the origin of the caste system in India? In her book Caste, Isabel Wilkerson compares the caste in Indian society to the American caste system. Both countries created laws to maintain social order, both were conquered by British colonialists, and both had their indigenous people out. Here’s how the caste system in India is similar to the American caste system.

What Does “Virtue Signaling” Mean?

What does “virtue signaling” mean? Do you think it’s immoral to publicize your virtue? The term “virtue signaling” has slowly been creeping its way into everyday vernacular and media dialogue. Virtue signaling is the act of publicly behaving in a way that makes you look as noble as possible. Here is why true virtue is done in secret.

Understanding the 3 Stages of a Hero’s Journey

What are the 3 stages of a hero’s journey? How does the legend of Moses illustrate the hero’s rite of passage? The 3 stages of a hero’s journey include separation, initiation, and return. The cycle involves the hero separating from the world he has always known, gaining spiritual power in seclusion, and coming back to share the power with humanity. This is well illustrated in the legend of Moses, where he secluded himself to Mount Sinai, received the tablets of law from God, and returned to share the word of God with the people of Israel. Read on to learn

How Do Social Class Hierarchies Develop?

How do social class hierarchies—such as the caste systems seen in America, India, and Nazi Germany—come into being? Why are castes so hard to abolish once they are established? A caste is a social class hierarchy that is formed based on arbitrary characteristics of difference (e.g. race, religion). According to Isabel Wilkerson, the author of Caste, there are eight tenets that form a caste system: 1) laws of divinity, 2) ingrained superiority, 3) dehumanization at the group level, 4) laws of heritage, 5) laws of love, 6) the purity of the dominant caste, 7) division of labor, and 8) terror

Why Modern Academia Fails to Practice Good Science

What does good science look like? What are the implications of scientific research being done in institutions that aren’t even involved in its implementation? In his book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb argues that modern academics fail to practice good science because they lack what he calls “skin in the game”—they are isolated from the real world in which their ideas are implemented. Taleb argues that areas of science and academia that lack skin in the game yield faulty, harmful ideas and theories that would cause major damage if implemented at a large scale. In this article, we’ll take

The Hero With a Thousand Faces: Book Overview

Why is Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces important? What was the role of mythologies in ancient societies? The book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces explores the existence of common themes and story elements in the mythologies of ancient societies, even though those cultures belonged to vastly different eras. Those myths served as the manifestations of the inner conflicts and desires of each society. They helped people make sense of their subconscious desires. Read on to discover how the book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces explains the functional template of hero myths in ancient societies.

Charlie Munger: The Reciprocation Tendency

The 25 Cognitive Biases: Reciprocation Tendency

What is the reciprocation tendency? How can reciprocity be harmful? The reciprocation tendency is the inclination of humans to reciprocate both favors and harm done to them. The reciprocation of favors enhances social cohesion and group cooperation, while the reciprocation of harm deters bad behavior in the future. Reciprocity can be harmful when the tendency is exploited by manipulators who use small concessions to demand big favors. Read on to learn more about the reciprocation tendency.

Skin in the Game: Quotes by Nassim Taleb

Are you looking for Skin in the Game quotes by Nassim Taleb? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? According to intellectual provocateur Nassim Nicholas Taleb, all human systems and endeavors fail because they lack “skin in the game”: something to lose if they don’t achieve their goals. We ignore this simple failsafe far too often, but, according to Taleb, it’s the single most important contributor to human progress. Below are some of his top Skin in the Game quotes with explanations.

How the Dominant Caste Maintains Its Superiority

How does the dominant caste in a hierarchical social system maintain its power over the “low-level” citizens? What methods do they use to ensure their continuing rule? In her book Caste, Isabel Wilkerson discusses how the dominating class in a caste system establishes and maintains its control over the lower classes. They do so in four ways: 1) dehumanization at the group level, 2) laws of heritage, 3) laws of love, and 4) purity of blood. Let’s explore each in detail.