As a cognitive scientist who got canceled himself, I have a insights into the psychology of the cancelers that few have. I made a video that describes part of my current understanding of why canceling has the features it has.
An interesting framework, Tjeerd. It aligns well with several cancellations I've looked at closely. It's tangential but I wonder if you're familiar with the work of René Girard?
Interesting. I was not familiar with Girard. Glad you pointed him out! His observations and conclusions helped me develop a more detailed cognitive science underpinning the social mimicry phase of development. The phase after that is self-direction, but that can only develop on a solid basis derived from social mimicry. I'll be publishing about that soonish on my YouTube channel and my science website: www.corecognition.com.
Studying those who canceled me in great detail helped me a lot. So I'm weirdly grateful to them.
"The victim’s perspective will never be incorporated into the myth, precisely because this would spoil the psychological effect of the scapegoating mechanism. The victim will always be portrayed as a culprit whose deeds brought about social chaos, but whose death or expulsion brought about social peace."
Wow, yeah, that really is a spot on match. If you'd like another related read then Huxley's description of Urbain Grandier's cancellation in The Devils of Loudun was a historical account that got me interested in this phenomenon even before it took off on social media.
It makes sense Aldous Huxley is interested in this topic. He also studied something that you can call pathological normality. Strongly related. We wrote about that:
It's funny reading this because the ontological security in our present day seeks to absorb these very observations into itself. It's paradoxical on the surface but one aspect of the "normal" being policed in our present day context is a war on norms - or perhaps better described as the norms of a "hegemony" construct better suited to the American 50s than our present day. In my observations the academy is the genesis point for the pseudo reality and its sociological constructs appear to be having a reflexive effect.
I supported you a few years ago via another platform, and am glad I can finally give you support again! And you have my permission to use my name on your next feature film :)
Thank you for all the work you're doing with Peter, James, Helen, Brett and Heather. I'm one of those crazy people that have been following them since the Evergreen blow up and watched anything Benjamin has released about it. It's more than 24 episodes by the way, I think that's just the "official" episodes that are labeled - there are far more, probably close to 100+ by now - and I have watched them all.
The story has a way of dragging you in, doesn't it? Our very own witch-trials of the digital era, all caught on camera. Thanks for your ongoing support, Murr. You've been essential to making all this work.
Hi Mike,
I just arrived here from Patreon.
As a cognitive scientist who got canceled himself, I have a insights into the psychology of the cancelers that few have. I made a video that describes part of my current understanding of why canceling has the features it has.
https://youtu.be/o4u09PREhB0
You might find it useful.
Best,
Tjeerd
An interesting framework, Tjeerd. It aligns well with several cancellations I've looked at closely. It's tangential but I wonder if you're familiar with the work of René Girard?
Interesting. I was not familiar with Girard. Glad you pointed him out! His observations and conclusions helped me develop a more detailed cognitive science underpinning the social mimicry phase of development. The phase after that is self-direction, but that can only develop on a solid basis derived from social mimicry. I'll be publishing about that soonish on my YouTube channel and my science website: www.corecognition.com.
Studying those who canceled me in great detail helped me a lot. So I'm weirdly grateful to them.
Girard and I are talking about the same:
"The victim’s perspective will never be incorporated into the myth, precisely because this would spoil the psychological effect of the scapegoating mechanism. The victim will always be portrayed as a culprit whose deeds brought about social chaos, but whose death or expulsion brought about social peace."
Source: https://iep.utm.edu/girard/#SH3d
Thanks. Not tangential: spot on!
Wow, yeah, that really is a spot on match. If you'd like another related read then Huxley's description of Urbain Grandier's cancellation in The Devils of Loudun was a historical account that got me interested in this phenomenon even before it took off on social media.
I'll read it.
It makes sense Aldous Huxley is interested in this topic. He also studied something that you can call pathological normality. Strongly related. We wrote about that:
https://corecognition.com/basics/4-two-routes-to-general-well-being/#pathological-normality-as-the-coping-modes-ideal-of-well-being
(you need to read a bit around it to interpret the relevance in full).
It's funny reading this because the ontological security in our present day seeks to absorb these very observations into itself. It's paradoxical on the surface but one aspect of the "normal" being policed in our present day context is a war on norms - or perhaps better described as the norms of a "hegemony" construct better suited to the American 50s than our present day. In my observations the academy is the genesis point for the pseudo reality and its sociological constructs appear to be having a reflexive effect.
I supported you a few years ago via another platform, and am glad I can finally give you support again! And you have my permission to use my name on your next feature film :)
Thank you for all the work you're doing with Peter, James, Helen, Brett and Heather. I'm one of those crazy people that have been following them since the Evergreen blow up and watched anything Benjamin has released about it. It's more than 24 episodes by the way, I think that's just the "official" episodes that are labeled - there are far more, probably close to 100+ by now - and I have watched them all.
The story has a way of dragging you in, doesn't it? Our very own witch-trials of the digital era, all caught on camera. Thanks for your ongoing support, Murr. You've been essential to making all this work.
Looking forward to this one!