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Success in the modern world requires ever increasing cognitive dissonance: You know climate change is coming but have to pretend not to, you know the economy i
by LatteLazy 3y ago
Success in the modern world requires ever increasing cognitive dissonance: You know climate change is coming but have to pretend not to, you know the economy is stacked against you but have to remain hopeful, you know you cannot access the sort of life you want, but have to pretend to like what IS on offer.
- wryoak 3y agoSuccess in the ancient world was built on no fewer delusions
- InitialLastName 3y agoCapitalism (as successful as it can be) is built fundamentally around cognitive dissonance. We know for a fact that the universe can't support unbounded exponential growth; one day, there will be no more resources to support that growth. On the other hand, the system requires the optimism that capital invested will produce value at an exponential rate forever. If the people ever became convinced that after tomorrow the growth will stop, the system would collapse overnight.
- LatteLazy 3y ago>We know for a fact that the universe can't support unbounded exponential growth; I am never entirely convinced by this. First because it does not need to, it only needs to support exponential growth for (say) 100 years and that is plenty of time for me. Or 1000 for me and my grandchildren's grandchildren. Then we can go to "stable state" etc Second because economic growth is not purely a matter of physical resources. Oil use cannot grow forever. But Dollar value can. >If the people ever became convinced that after tomorrow the growth will stop, the system would collapse overnight. This is 110% true though. The main source of growth is optimism, the main source of optimism is growth. God help the government that cannot sustain those (like now here in the UK).