ghettos

[miriam_e]

I think ghettos are up there with scary belief systems (religion, nationalism, racism, sexism, and so on) for their ability to incubate damaged and dangerous mind-sets in people. I wonder if there is any way to prevent them.

When I speak of ghettos I include not only the places that everybody associates with the name -- poor, underprivileged areas -- but also the gated communities that insulate the rich from the real world and let them grow unhinged attitudes that are just as dangerous as the loony muslim jihad-dreams that fester in poor islamic ghettos.

Birds of a feather naturally flock together. Unfortunately groups of like-minded people far too easily go collectively insane. Groups become more rational when healthily diverse, and in fact can even become smarter than the smartest individual in the group. But the very opposite happens when groups become uniform and think in lock-step; they become more stupid than the most stupid member and end up convincing their members to do truly hair-raising things.

We need ways facilitate diversity and impede ghettoism. But how?

Comments

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't know. Generally individuals that dislike the ghetto think, they tend to get out.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Yes. And that is part of the problem. Groups tend to pressure people who don't think as they do, but they need them in order to remain rational. It is probably even important to retain a certain level of religion, racism, and other forms of broken thinking in a community (though I hate to say it). The big danger is when one single way of thinking dominates. When people let their thoughts be swayed too much by others, then everything starts to slide downhill.

But as you point out, minority opinions tend to get ejected, either passively or actively. I wonder if there is any way to prevent that happening. We can legislate against discrimination, but that only works against overt attacks. It doesn't stop people making life uncomfortable for others in countless, more subtle ways.

Maybe it will all eventually work itself out as humanity slowly grows up. I sure hope so. In the meantime I fear that we have a lot to worry about. I just finished reading a very scary page:
the coming of Eurabia (http://www.jfednepa.org/mark%20silverberg/eurabia.html) about a major problem brewing.

For a time I lived in a predominantly muslim area in Melbourne, and I could see the problem growing there. To be honest, it wasn't entirely the fault of the muslims, but their naturally closed ways did create feelings of adversity and suspicion between them and the other people around them. If they had been more open to the wider community and more critical of bad elements within their community then tensions would have been defused.

The same thing can be seen in many other groups. The seige mentality that can be seen in the police force is another example. There are plenty of groups that paradoxically end up hurting themselves by banding together for protection from outsiders.

We need to work out ways to ease ourselves out of dangerous trends before they do major damage.

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

Those that do get out of the ghettos often go on to influence public thinking later, if not sooner. They do make their contribution. Of course that's easier to do when one feels safer.
I think the advent of the web will and already has made a huge contribution to the world's evolution in consciousness.
I think it's important that we don't start thinking in terms of us and them, or that we stop if we are.
Even larger groups can get that siege mentality.

This conversation puts me in mind of a movie, it's called Persepolis. It's a great movie. You might like it.

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Yes. That's what I hope: that the internet's spreading of knowledge and easing of communication will speed up our maturation. It was pointed out to me by another friend a while back however, that it could lead us the other way, limiting people to interacting only within their chosen groups, because it is possible now to find similarly minded people anywhere on the planet. I honestly don't know which way will dominate. I'm hoping it will be a force for opening people up.

Quite right that size of a group is no insurance against seige mentality. The worst danger is that when it affects a large, powerful group you end up with wars and large scale oppression.

Ooh! A movie recommendation. Cool. I haven't seen that one. Thanks. I'll keep a lookout for it.

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

I don't know either.
It does seem to me that the internet can't help but open the possibilities for exposure.
If I'd been able to google information on the internet when I was a kid I would have.
What I was being taught did not feel like enough. I was asking questions and getting crap answers but I didn't have the internet, now did I? :)
Course that really led to me beginning to really trust how I felt about something.
A lack of resources can feel like an emotional and intellectual prison, it can make a person want very badly to get out. That wanting led to a hugely different life and understanding than I was taught to have, for which I am glad.
I really don't think the benefits of tribalism are enough to satisfy the needs of evolving human beings. And because of this and perhaps for other reasons I have hope.

Oh hey, book recommendation. I'm only a third through it but damn, this is a must read. It's called Sex at Dawn. http://www.sexatdawn.com/
I've got a library copy now but I feel it's important enough to have. Certain informations I feel like I should keep, you know in case the world ends. :)

[miriam-e.livejournal.com]

Exactly what makes me feel optimistic about the internet. The potential is almost without limit. Information makes us free.

Hmmm... SexAtDawn sounds interesting. I'll see if I can get my hands on a copy. Maybe the local library has it. Though my reading list is getting exasperatingly long now. I keep finding other cool things to read. :) That's what I get for living in interesting times. :)

[dorjejaguar.livejournal.com]

Interesting times, yes :)
I put it on hold at my library and had to wait a while.
Loads of holds already put on it. I bet they'll buy more copies cause of it.
I think it's a groundbreaking work.