Religion, Politics, and Self-Suppression
Religion and political leadership are so intertwined across eras and cultures because they are about the same thing: performing the miracle of converting unrelated individuals into a group.
Kevin Simler • Religion, Politics, and Self-Suppression
t the risk of taking this idea to its breaking point, I'll suggest that maybe some of the crazier beliefs held by members of a group (whether a religion, a cult, a nation, or a political party) are, in effect, symbolic sacrifices of knowledge . Being politically correct or religiously orthodox is a way of sacrificing truth on the altar of loyalty.
... See moreKevin Simler • Religion, Politics, and Self-Suppression
a very important point that we are sacrifcing common sense for loyalty to the group . This is a very costly signal makes other believe that you are serious about the group values
So what do humans have to sacrifice for the sake of showing loyalty to others? In the most basic physical terms, we can offer time, resources (money, food, etc.), energy, health, status, fertility, and knowledge. Each of these is a different type of economic good (tangible/intangible, transferable/non-transferable, rivalrous/non-rivalrous, etc.), a
... See more