Modern societies often assume that more information automatically leads to better decisions. It doesn't. Guest article by the Canadian Sociologist, Luc Lelièvre.
As I was reading this excellent article by Luc Lelievre. I Kept thinking of present day institututions and Many historic ones too including Organised religions who label free thinkers and those who dare Question as Heretics. (often Murdered or rendered powerless.) other examples that came to mind include Politico social movements based on fake science and censorship of scientific discussion and reality in favour of Rigged computer models . Let alone any popularly accepted 'truths' spread on so called social media One could go on!
"A system that cannot integrate feedback eventually loses its capacity to self-correct. It becomes a machine for preserving its own assumptions rather than a tool for understanding reality."
Very interesting, thank you! I'm getting echoes of Scott's "Seeing Like a State", and NN Taleb's ideas on "fragility".
As I see it, this tendency has reached a point at which reality is being denied. If you don't See As The State Does, then you must be imagining something, distorting "reality" or deliberately trying to deceive/demoralise people. Sure, you can indulge in these thoughts in private - but good luck trying to disseminate them, beyond the pages of interesting Substacks like this one.
This article exactly describes the culture of the federal government department I used to work for. Should I put "work" in quotation marks? Trying to get any thing accomplished there often felt like swimming through bureaucratic pea soup.
I left over ten years ago - unlike so many colleagues who were selling their souls, saying every frustrating moment was "pensionable time." I am so grateful I escaped with my mind intact.
Thank you for your very well-written article. You've helped me understand that what I was seeing in my old work place was also going on in the greater society.
That doesn't make me happy - but it makes me realize I was recognizing something real, not just imagining things.
And my life has improved enormously since I left. Which gives me hope for how at least a minority in our current society could evolve going forward.
As I was reading this excellent article by Luc Lelievre. I Kept thinking of present day institututions and Many historic ones too including Organised religions who label free thinkers and those who dare Question as Heretics. (often Murdered or rendered powerless.) other examples that came to mind include Politico social movements based on fake science and censorship of scientific discussion and reality in favour of Rigged computer models . Let alone any popularly accepted 'truths' spread on so called social media One could go on!
The population's desire for unfettered communication is what drives censorship...
"A system that cannot integrate feedback eventually loses its capacity to self-correct. It becomes a machine for preserving its own assumptions rather than a tool for understanding reality."
Very interesting, thank you! I'm getting echoes of Scott's "Seeing Like a State", and NN Taleb's ideas on "fragility".
As I see it, this tendency has reached a point at which reality is being denied. If you don't See As The State Does, then you must be imagining something, distorting "reality" or deliberately trying to deceive/demoralise people. Sure, you can indulge in these thoughts in private - but good luck trying to disseminate them, beyond the pages of interesting Substacks like this one.
Thank you, Seb.
I see the point you’re raising.
My focus, though, is not on a confrontation between “what the State sees” and “what individuals see.”
What I’m trying to describe is a structural problem: institutions often struggle to adjust their internal models when reality changes.
The issue is not an intention to deny reality, but a kind of cognitive rigidity that blocks feedback.
That is the dynamic I’m examining in the article.
This article exactly describes the culture of the federal government department I used to work for. Should I put "work" in quotation marks? Trying to get any thing accomplished there often felt like swimming through bureaucratic pea soup.
I left over ten years ago - unlike so many colleagues who were selling their souls, saying every frustrating moment was "pensionable time." I am so grateful I escaped with my mind intact.
That's awesome.
Thank you for your very well-written article. You've helped me understand that what I was seeing in my old work place was also going on in the greater society.
That doesn't make me happy - but it makes me realize I was recognizing something real, not just imagining things.
And my life has improved enormously since I left. Which gives me hope for how at least a minority in our current society could evolve going forward.
Me too.
Thank you for your work Luc.
Reality can be very …..unpleasant but , the alternative is far worse.