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

[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.