Andrew McCluskey

Trickle down economics works, but often just down the veins of family trees.

The Wundt curve shows that overly simple and predictable stimuli provide only neutral hedonic value. Positive hedonic value requires stimuli that are somewhat novel/complex/ambiguous. Too much novelty or complexity, however, leads to negative hedonic value. There is, then, a “sweet spot” for the right amount of stimulus novelty/complexity: slightly... See more

“A society made up of human beings who have turned themselves into small businesses is basically the logical endpoint of free market capitalism, anyway. To achieve the current iteration of the American dream, you’ve got to shout into the digital void and tell everyone how great you are. All that matters is how many people believe you.” – Kai

Extremist movements capitalize on this motivational state, empowering those seeking purpose or meaning by connecting them with a community that not only validates their feelings of frustration or insignificance but also offers them a ready explanation for their grievances and ways to reaffirm their social significance – one that promotes... See more