Direct Democracy: Patterned Consciousness

May 26

Description:

You see life as a pattern. You believe that your role is to be a piece of the pattern, and that if you fail to fit into the pattern your actions can disrupt the balance of the pattern. You may believe that is your duty to society to serve and do what you can for your government. Rather than seeking power, you most likely seek connection. You may view those that desire to change or disrupt the pattern as selfish and entitled.

Like the Moros archetype you are likely to fear impending doom, and as a result may deny that you are susceptible to being manipulated by doomsday cults. Like the Helios archetype you are likely to continue shining despite all the darkness that exists, and as a result are able to find enjoyment in everything, even in monotonous activities.

You likely believe that almost all individuals are capable of learning and acquiring the knowledge required to rule wisely. You may also be anti-elitist and anti-intellectual, because you believe that elitists and intellectuals spawn corruption and divisiveness.

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”

— Isaac Asimov

“Who will guard against the guardians?”

— John Stuart Mills

Traits:

Conscientious, Authenticity, Altruistic, Respectful, Caring, Sincere, Sensitive, Hands-on, Hard-working, Consistent, Supportive

Conscience:

In a direct democracy, the so-called wisdom of the crowd is appointed as the conscience. As polymath Gustave Le Bon discovered, the Crowd itself is like a psychological entity that possesses the individuals that form it. The Crowd replaces the will of the individual and unconsciously drives them to act on behalf of the group that they are identifying with. Those that elect a Direct Democracy may picture…

“...society as an aggregation of people who have sacrificed individual freedom in order to remain within the group. This sacrifice of freedom on the part of individuals in the groups leads its members to resist all efforts at fundamental changes in the group code.”

— Edward Bernays

Variations:

Random lottery process:

A lottery at random selects the members of the government. Term limits and restrictions are set in place, preventing the lottery system from being discarded.

Cyclical process:

A regularly scheduled process that requires all individuals to participate.

Communal process:

A process that requires all individuals to participate at all times, otherwise they cannot guarantee that their interests will be represented.

Susceptibility:

If the citizenry is misguided by propaganda, collapse is probable. Individuals may lose their identity and be absorbed into a Crowd. If the Crowd possesses an individual they may be stripped of their critical thinking skills and ability to introspect. Can easily descend into chaos if there is no higher authority to organize the democratic process. This higher authority is often a group of specialists that call themselves experts, such as billionaires, doctors, military generals, clergymen, etc.

“Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through.”

— Jonathan Swift

A higher authority often uses the delphi technique to determine truth by a consensus of experts. If a culture’s epistemological mechanism is corrupted by groupthink, critical thinking will stop being encouraged, and obedience to the experts will be encouraged. Can easily be overthrown by aristocrats either through bribery, military action, or manipulation.

Implications:

• Explanation for existence: Often believes that the universe was created randomly, and that its cause is unknown.

(In)destructibility of the Universe

If it's destructible, the universe is...

If they believe they believe that the universe is destructible, they are 80% likely to believe that the universe is cyclically recreated and are 20% likely to believe that the universe is unable to be recreated if it’s destroyed.

• Conceptual model of the universe/cosmos: Most likely believes in an infinite and dynamic universe that is constantly expanding and evolving.

• Idea of consciousness: Most likely believes that when we die our death is permanent, often believes that upon death their personal consciousness will be absorbed by the shared consciousness.

• Justification for life’s suffering: Likely believes that there is no justification for life’s suffering.

• Theory of perception: Most likely believes that they can only experience their perception of reality.

• Sensorium elicitation process: Favors upwards causality over downwards causality. Likely believes that the emphasis should be placed on micro over the macro.

• Thought structuring process: May discover that many of their thoughts are formed from guessing what others are thinking around them. They may justify that their desire to foresee others actions exists because of their desire to establish harmony. May be surprised to find out that they are better at utilizing afterthought than forethought.

• Emotion formulation process: Their desire to be liked by others and desire to do what they deem is the right thing can just as easily propel them to connect with others or disconnect from others. Often places the emotions of others before themself, causing them to be emotionally reactive to those around them. The primary reason why they place others emotions before their own is because they naturally absorb and reflect back the emotions of others as if those emotions were their own. Emotional reflectivity is beneficial but it can also be draining.

• Reputation: Most likely seen as dependable and trustworthy.

• Post-Life Hypothesis: Denies any post-life, dismisses both reincarnation and the after life, views both concepts as distractions preventing the problems that exist now from being solved.