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Yeah, this is so common (most of all among hipsters) that it must just be an effect of human nature. I remember how amusing it was when Nirvana unexpectedly hit
by gruseom 17y ago
Yeah, this is so common (most of all among hipsters) that it must just be an effect of human nature. I remember how amusing it was when Nirvana unexpectedly hit the bigtime and all the indie types who had been raving about them as gods suddenly were forced into "Nirvana sucks, they sold out" mode. Cognitive dissonance in action!
If other people steal the emblems of my identity (by liking the same band I like, or going to the same conference I do), it's as if they're stealing my soul. Worst case scenario, I might have to admit that I'm not that different from the average guy. That's a bitter pill for a lot of us, especially those who were raised with or otherwise acquired the idea that we're exceptional or superior.
An interesting irony about this is that the ego dynamic underlying it all is so primitive and so identical.
- bonsaitree 17y agoIt's more of a natural diffusion of common sociological binding properties with increases in cohort size than ego. In small, cohesive groups communication IS simultaneously MORE efficient and MORE intimate. As the group size grows, the differing mixtures of shared properties amongst its participants grows. There are more total possible channels for signal-based bonding, but also more noise. With choice comes confusion, ambivalence, and even rejection. In the extreme case, the original cohesive set of properties in the "core culture" can be bifurcated or disappear altogether. It's no different than what happened on the original Fidonet, The Well, or the infamous AOL-invasion of the academic Internet. SXSW has simply gotten too big for the original cultural center to hold.