4 ms·
It shows specifically that a power-law distribution arises (which can be exploited, or taken as a sign of value or merit) in the COMPLETE ABSENCE of value or me
by Applejinx 4y ago
It shows specifically that a power-law distribution arises (which can be exploited, or taken as a sign of value or merit) in the COMPLETE ABSENCE of value or merit.
When you then exploit the resources that have randomly piled up, turbo boost kicks in and exacerbates the condition as the wealthy throw their weight around to increase their weight and influence (as all classes will do within the context of what they're able to do)
I've been aware of this simulation (or earlier, simpler simulations) for some time, and consider it significant. Even in the total absence of merit, properties will emerge that will look like merit when they're not. Confirmation bias does the rest.
The take-away would appear to be 'eat the rich, but only when they insist they earned it out of their own obvious personal value'. The ones that are like 'lol, that's weird, how did this happen to me?' are probably okay ;)
- guerrilla 4y ago> turbo boost kicks in and exacerbates the condition as the wealthy throw their weight around to increase their weight and influence (as all classes will do within the context of what they're able to do) Can I suggest you call this what it is: a set of positive feedback loops.
- Applejinx 4y agoBut the underlying experiment shows the effect in the complete absence of positive feedback, and that's the most important thing about it.
- guerrilla 4y agoYes, and then you said "[w]hen you then exploit the resources that have randomly piled up". This is where the positive feedback begins. The final graph in the simulation represents people who just sat around and did nothing with their money. In real life, they would use their resources to accelerate their accumulation of resources.
- Applejinx 4y agoAnd that's where we stand, as a global population of humans and economic actors :) The idea that in real life the distribution would be way way 'worse'… is in fact heavily confirmed by observation of real life. I'm just trying to make sure people don't jump to the conclusion, 'it's positive feedback all the way down, this always represents merit'. It's quite shocking how little it represents merit. I would say it is equally likely to represent criminality, as merit. So even the 'positive feedback' ends up being pretty much a wash: we revert to the merit-less state of the distribution, only with an even more extreme power-law curve.
- guerrilla 4y agoOh yeah, it definitely has nothing to do with merit unless traits like being a psychopath is merit. Criminals would (and obviously do) exploit positive feedback just as well.