sociality cusp

by phil on Tuesday Feb 7, 2006 8:01 AM

Are social conventions a source of weakness or strength? Does going with the flow liberate you with viscosity, or drag you down into local maxima? Are social inhibitions something to be triumphed over or something to adapt to so that we find the role wherein we are maximal?

We have natural resistances, such as a resistance to raise our hand in class, or to say an unusual opinion at a dinner table. Overcoming these resistances is a characteristic associated with heroes. But it's also a characteristic associated with jerks.

// of course it's not black-and-white. The "it's all balance" response will diffuse this one just as it softens up 80% of all ponderance questions... But for me, I think I've been very much on the "social inhibitions are something to be triumphed over" camp.