4 ms·
Just because something is a social construct does not mean it's arbitrary and meaningless. Social constructs have developed over time under evolutionary pressu
by jcbrand 4y ago
Just because something is a social construct does not mean it's arbitrary and meaningless.
Social constructs have developed over time under evolutionary pressure. Useless or damaging constructs eventually disappear since they contribute negatively towards survival.
The constructs that remain have demonstrated a certain level of fitness towards the environment.
- danaris 4y ago...but it's important not to assume that just because a particular social construct is still in use today, it's "fit" to remain for the foreseeable future.
- jcbrand 4y agoSure. Social constructs likely follow the Lindy effect. The longer one exists, the longer it can be expected to continue to exist. Old constructs have proven their fitness simply by persisting over a long period time. I think it's easier to make the mistake the other way around, to wrongly assume that a relatively new social construct will remain "fit" far into the future.