Accepting a Lower Class Position (Hate and Corruption Thought Experiment)

There has been an ongoing thought experiment for learning purposes on hate and corruption and how it could impact people, an economy, trust, and many other facets normal societal life. Negative and positive things can be found by exploring these concepts. Sometimes we can find strengths through a community and other times we can see where things are not functioning as expected. Let us continue to explore but do so in the mindset that there are many different perspectives and ways to look at the same issue (Some agree, and some don’t but that isn’t really the point so just hold on for a little while before judging too heuristically.). 

A positive thing we could find might be that good people who act with integrity came forward and they are a testimony to what we should strive to be. On the flip side, poor behaviors leave a long mark on people that is unlikely to dissipate in the absence of correction (i.e. restoring of justice in this learning example). There are some risks that you can’t undo what has been done (i.e. It’s a little like saying, “We don’t need your apology, we need your commitment to a better world and accountability when you can't do it.”).

It is helpful to think about what the potential impact on victims beyond individual acts of mistreatment might be in the long run. Of course, that impact is dependent on the type of behaviors that led to victimization (more severe versus less severe). One of the risks of not correcting poor behaviors is that victims may come to normalize and accept a lower status position (There is a truth in it right? While there is no such thing as lower class in our biological make up nevertheless societies sometimes put people in whatever place they want. This is every society on the planet but to different degrees and extent.).

One of the risks beyond human capital loss is that it also creates divides in perspectives and expectations of treatment. Consistent feedback from the same clan, rumors, rudeness, employment rejection, passive aggressiveness, intimidation, etc. by a group of people does leave an impression of hate (If your anchored in other places it has less of an impact but without that it could be devastating and that is why bullies are intentionally hurtful and destructive. They then make themselves out to be the victims when caught. This gaslighting process is supported by science.) Most of us would profess respect for human life and human dignity but that can be at times different depending on who you’re talking about (History books teach us about the past so we don't repeat it. It’s part of human nature to repeat until society can resolve.)

When one comes to accept their lower place in society based on actualized outcomes and feedback from the environment they also expect less out of life. They accept and take less because they have been taught through feedback to accept and see themselves as less (Stage 2 is Dehumanization while Stage 3 Acceptance of a Lower Position). Of course, we should reject the hate narrative and its impact but one cannot ignore that it is present and does have influence on long term outcomes of culture and perception. In our example more victims of past behaviors keep showing up and its hard to silence them all so some misbehaviors have been normalized already. The victims have been discarded with no recourse (also some social contract issues arise).

This hypothetical example is just for philosophical exploratory reasons, so we are moving through some difficult to digest concepts that lead to a much brighter path. We should talk about some positive stuff such as developing sense of community from adversity in the next article (Research supports the idea that challenge and difficulties can in the long run improve social cohesion and performance.). Everything in this life has a path and if one takes this perspective there is order just beyond the chaos. That is a longer process often outside our awareness, but it is more elemental and more underlining in its ability to shape the environment. This is why so far society continues to adapt and develop despite tempest in a teapot of today. We should be rational optimists.

When Do Low Status Individuals Accept Less?

*This is a hypothetical thought experiment for philosophical pontification so take with a grain of salt. 

Blue PR, Hu J, Wang X, van Dijk E, Zhou X. When Do Low Status Individuals Accept Less? The Interaction between Self- and Other-Status during Resource Distribution. Front Psychol. 2016 Oct 25;7:1667. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01667. PMID: 27826282; PMCID: PMC5078797.