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MONDAY, OCT 29, 2018: NOTE TO FILE
The Belief Engine
And how to coopt it
Eric Lee, A-SOCIATED PRESS
TOPICS: ABANDONING INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY, FROM THE WIRES, FEDERATION LACKIES
Abstract: The proposed United Federation of Watersheds would be observation based, based on listening to Nature who has all the answers, but if the concept were to become a pathological belief in the Federation giving raise to a compulsion to join the Federation, then the outcome could be nightmarish, another -ism. The believing mind is our enemy, another psychopathology of everyday life, perhaps the foundational pathology.
TUCSON (A-P) — Pick a belief SYSTEM, whether religious, political, or a belief in the Gods of the Market Place. Could be an Olympian or neoclassical economic faith-based SYSTEM of verities. But imagine a new world order arises called the United Federation of Watersheds and, contrary to intent, it becomes belief-based instead of inquiry/evidence-based. What would the acolytes of the Federation do? Like servants of every other belief SYSTEM, they'd do what works to grow the SYSTEM (e.g. Christianity, Progressive Liberality, Islam, Secular Humanism...) or be selected against to become a footnote (Anarcho-transhumanism, Paleolibertarianism, Ecomodernism, Postmodern feminism, Ecofascism, Alt-right, Theodemocracy...).
First, Start Young
We are born as agency detectors. If my rattle moved, I moved it. If I didn't move it, someone else did. If something moves and I don't see who, then they're invisible (e.g. wind moving a flag). If I'm hungry, someone is not feeding me, so cry loudly until they do. If lightning strikes and burns down a church, then someone intended it to and they had a reason. There be agents everywhere. Beliefs in supernatural beings—gods, ghosts, angels, demons... are cultural universals that involve interpreting events as divine interventions, messages, warnings, rewards, or punishments which serves as further confirmation of the existence of invisible beings. Subsequent education may or may not correct default evo-bio-thinking that can be coopted to serve belief SYSTEMs thinking, so successful belief SYSTEMs prevent corrections.
Five-month olds are able to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, and develop a 'theory of mind' (and when older a 'theory of bicycle riding'). Before their third year children come to understand that humans and animals have internal mental processes similar to their own. This leads to self/other dualism, the concept that mind is separate from matter, an illusion which implies disembodied entities whose minds function in a similar manner to our own, but enhanced with special powers. To coopt, tell children that only humans have similar internal mental processes and only some humans, like those teaching them, have correct internal mental processes that matter.
Toddlers, before their third year, can form a tribal identity, so if the Federation were ideological, members would encourage children to think there are two types of people in the world: right thinking and acting ecolate humans who proudly wear the Federation uniform, and the others who are at war with the Federation, overtly or not, to be tolerated/marginalized if they must be, or otherwise eliminated/assimilated. In-group/out-group thoughts, feelings, and perceptions make for societal cohesion among the in-group and a willingness to do anything to avoid becoming one of those 'others' becomes second nature. To avoid outgrowing such tribalism, adults whose development was arrested will work to insure that when children reach the age of reason they will not question their tribal identity.
Young children develop a teleological intuition—it happens. As they look about the world, children appear innately prone to consider objects and events as serving an intentional purpose, and this teleological bias is applied to just about everything. Such reasoning supports the view that there is some sort of extraordinary intelligence that guides the world. The Federation is (or is closely aligned with) this intelligence. Again, when a child reaches an age of reason, at about fifteen, care must be taken to prevent questioning anything the rulers might find inconvenient, including 'the people' in democracies.
Children recognize authority figures because, well, they actually exist (e.g. the three P's, parents, priests/principles, police). Most children tend to believe in what actually exists. This, coupled with an atavistic belief in invisible beings, can be coopted. Teach them that Mother Nature is 'real', not a metaphor for the nature of things, who actually exists as a separate and permanent entity. Tell them that Mother knows all, is always watching, loves them, wants them to be 'good'... as tireless servants of the Federation are willing to 'teach' them. If repeated often enough, most will continue to believe what elites in the Federation tell them to believe.
Some time between the age of four and eight, children can learn to distinguish fantasy from reality as the demonstrably what-is, to engage in reality testing. They learn that bad dreams are 'not real' and that the tooth fairy and Easter bunny are fictions, with or without help. About half of four-year-olds have imaginary friends. Adults can be lonely too. Some beliefs can be fun and harmless for a time, but the capacity to doubt is learned. By interfering with a child's ability to engage in reality testing, children can come to believe in manufactured imaginary friends they have (and are had by) for life (and thereby are less lonely), enabling them to work as adults to serve the SYSTEM by passing on their impaired reality testing. What works is to not teach children to reality test and to actively teach them to not reality test received verities, i.e. that there are some claims they cannot question, doubt, or consider alternatives to (e.g. God, Democracy, Humanity). To avoid critically inquiring 'too much' into claims that must be believed, impairing a child's ability to think critically works.
Children make wishes. With maturity they can easily come (be taught) to realize that wishes don't determine the future. But if wishing is organized and sanctioned (normalized), then adults too can come to imagine that (believe that) wishing can 'make it so'. They can easily be 'taught' to assume a special position or engage in ritualized movements to wish for what others tell them they should wish for (e.g. salvation, enlightnment). Enquiring minds want to know what they should wish for so they can join others in wishing rightly.
Humans, especially children, experience existential anxiety and fear. By exacerbating anxiety and fear to a point of hopelessness, then offering one way out of the manufactured despair, ideologues can hijack brains, turning humans into followers. Boys on an island can come to believe in the 'beast' and come to kill to appease their anxiety. Fear, properly exploited, can serve those who would be Leader. The Federation could demonize Industrial Society and the denizens of it as lovers of Growth for its Own Sake, followers of the false Ideology of the Cancer Cell, while assuring those who would be Federation that degrowth will be the best thing that ever happened to them (best for posterity, true enough, but not for them).
Researchers have found that increasing instability of secular government is associated with increased religious belief. If the United Federation of Watersheds fails to provide an alternative to existing government, the religious control SYSTEM will become the SYSTEM. The Federation could endeavor to help each citizen think/feel/perceive that they are part of a moral community with sacred values, norms, and ethical expectations having strong bonds with other supportive members. Its a eusocial primate thing. The one thing the Federation could not provide, that clothed primates crave, is certitude. But with belief therapy, that craving goes away as it is an acquired affection.
Coopting Society
Having coopted the minds of children by exploiting their atavisms to prevent an awakening of intelligence, society is easier to control. Instead of telling adults whose elite interests they should serve, it is best to use a sleight of mind trick and tell them to serve their self interest. This comes naturally to children and is easily selected for in a complex society. Who selects? Given that the intentional fallacy is more than a questionable literary view, as there really isn't agency everywhere, it should be a thinkable thought that no one selects. The SYSTEM isn't a thing. No one runs the show (SYSTEM). No one chose to be born into it. No one asked to be a product of a control SYSTEM, but all are. No one had to intend to exploit the atavisms of children or human nature. Doing so is what worked to grow the now global complex society that all who make money are part of and serve.
The SYSTEM selects for what works to grow the economy and keep the social, legal, educational, political, military, and mercantile subSYSTEMS running to build empire. What is selected for is what grows the SYSTEM fastest in the short term, even if going splat against the wall of biophysical limits is the end point. Those who foresee the end point self-select out or come to serve with ever less enthusiasm. All who serve the SYSTEM, who depend on having money (or just want it), want to be secure and prosperous. The pursuit of self-interest self-organizes the SYSTEM to serve the servants. The 'rules of the game' select for the outcome. The now global social dynamic automatically thwarts any attempt to change it other than to tweak it in ways that likely won't interfere with its Growth's Mandate imperative, and in the short-term growth is imperative. The current business-as-usual SYSTEM only works in the absence of foresight intelligence.
Replacing the current BAU SYSTEM by lobotomizing it and uploading another ideological belief SYSTEM would not be alternative, would be business-as-usual as empires replaced chiefdoms, and bigger empires replaced prior empires as their hegemon faded (weakened). Within each complex society, factions vie for power, one replaces another, but each competes to serve the SYSTEM which selects for what works short term. Alternative would be a SYSTEM that doesn't serve human self interest, that is not humancentric, that selects for what works long-term. The mandate would have to be other than growth of empire or the economy. Alternative would be slavish conformity to the laws of Nature as Nature determines, to Nature's Mandate, as distinct from what humans say, perhaps loudly while shaking their fists, that Nature's laws are, and the laws of system dynamics are foundational.
All may endeavor to listen to Nature. Those who don't, need to self-select out of a SYSTEM that is driven by Nature's Mandate. Some will listen better than others. Nature will determine who listens well. Humans can guess then test, but Nature has all the answers. Nature grades the tests. A naturocracy that followed Nature's Mandate (as distinct from the current Growth's Mandate or prior God's Mandate of the Feudal SYSTEM), would be alternative.
But imagine the Federation wasn't ultimately concerned about balancing Man's demands on Nature's resources, but those who served the Federation strove above all to perpetuate the Federation (to build empire). This would result in a BAU Federation (which would combine religious and political control SYSTEMs):
- Know all that the Federation alone offers salvation from the mean, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short life; only the Federation has 'real solutions'.
- Those who do not serve the Federation are in error, ignorance, and illusion: convert them, tell them what they want to hear.
- Those who refuse to be Federation are enemies of the Federation, are at war with the Federation.
- Go forth to gather among the mal-believers to show them the way, the truth, and the proper way to live with the planet.
- Where Transitioners number less than two percent, say that you come in peace, that you seek cooperation and coexistence. Speak of tolerance and reflect the values of the default society insofar as possible. Be conciliatory, deferential, but request harmless special treatment such as the right to wear a Federation uniform at all times. As cultural conflicts become increasingly apparent, appeal for humanitarian tolerance. Offer 'interfaith dialog' to spread Federation memes. Take legal action against discrimination. Oppose hate crimes by Ecophobes. Purchase lands for Community Buildings, Outreach Centers, and Reading Rooms.
- When Transitioners number two to five percent, increase efforts to teach Federation ways. Focus on the disaffected, marginalized, and troubled, including those held as prisoners. Continue to stress cooperation, coexistence, tolerance and reflect the values of the society; try to fit in and not make enemies. Seek to join local organizations. Attempt to recruit allies who share similar goals. Seek to increase the number of eMigrants.
- When Transitioners number five to fifteen percent of population, there will be enough to form Transition neighborhoods or rural communities where Federation policies can be implemented. Demand the right of self-rule if any policies are opposed.
- Victims of Ecophobia should appeal for accommodation.
- When Transitioners number fifteen to fifty percent, some should run for public office on the Ecolate Party platform, but per platform the elected will refuse to serve until a majority are voted into office. Those running for office will seek to educate. Authorities attempting to control Transition communities or neighborhoods should be met with passive resistance or a human wall.
- When Transitioners number over fifty percent, local government will be dominated by Ecolate Party supporters who can foundationally change local governance such as by phasing out the use of overpowered vehicles other than on interstate highways. Remaining Ecophobes may be helped to relocate by being given free bus tickets. If a county consists of two or more watersheds, separate watershed management units will be formed.
But what if those who would rather know than believe dominate the Federation as control SYSTEM, preventing the true believers, who merely believe in the Federation, from defining the rules of the game? A rule that children never be taught what to think, but only how to think well, would foundationally change the educational SYSTEM and society. Adults, including parents and grandparents, who taught children what to 'believe' would receive belief therapy to help lessen their compulsion to spread their conclusions. Those who have conclusions are had by them, a cognitive pathology. Within a lifetime, doubt and uncertainty could be normalized, as would inquiry. Reality testing would be normalized. Those best able to think well would serve the SYSTEM without material reward by listening to Nature and help humankind to balance their demands on Nature's resources so as to remain well below overshooting limits. Nature, instead of egoic self-serving ideologues, would thereby run the show (society's SYSTEM). Thus may overshoot and collapse be avoided after the fall as centuries of Nature restorancy give way to passing mellinnia of evolving prosperity on a pale blue dot.
Ref: The God Engine
