Unpacking Normal Box Theory | Perception of Normality is Everything | Guest Lee Jarvis | SDP171
[Podcast] Guest William Wesley Lee Jarvis returns to the show to discuss “Normal Box Theory”in society and how it applies to how people, and cultures in identifying the illusion of priorities. What is “thinking in averages?” Why is perception of normality everything? What are counter-processes and fixes? How do we analyze processes of culture relative to box theory? What are the range of consequences of “the law” interfering with “individual will in modern society?”
DIRECT LINK to MP3 of this Episode: https://tinyurl.com/SDP171-AUDIO
NORMAL BOX THEORY. Imagine a typical cardboard box. Now imagine that everything inside of the box is what human society considers normal and safe. Rather than thinking of a sliding scale of good or bad, the “normal box” plainly communicates what is good and safe as well as what is bad and evil. What’s inside of the box is determined by some sort of authority or by majority. The contents of the box are constantly changing – perhaps subtle adjustments, or, as in times of great uncertainty, there might be a substantial change to what is deemed worthy of the box.
PROBLEM WITH BOX THEORY. The box is finite. When something is added, something must be removed. Lee suggests that the staunch binary status of box-or-no-box should allow for people to “think in averages” where there are no normal or abnormal or limitations to the box. In Lee’s nuanced interpretation, “you just let people be, treating those that harm others as problems once they make problems.”
PERCEPTION OF NORMALITY IS EVERYTHING. Lee explains that “people dislike what they think is “different” and go out of their way to be a busy-body to force their perception of normality on others. This is most likely due to simple mental survival mechanisms to thin the herd, it enhances the “bullying nanny” in everyone to report people not wearing masks in their homes, For example, real-live 24/7 thought police and other such nonsense. It can turn adults into kindergartners, because people lose a sense of themselves and their limits. This also enhances culture wars and group conflict, which is very profitable for most of the modern world.”
GOVERNMENT COMPETENCY AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT. It was Thomas Hobbes’ book Leviathan, written in 1651, that described the delicate balance between just-enough government and individuals’ free will. The book’s tenets are clearly evident today as governments have extracted concessions from their citizens for the sake of safety. The most controversial permanent program under the Patriot Act is the “National Security Letters” program, which lets the government demand communications records from telecom companies without even going through the surveillance court for approval first.
PEOPLE DON’T QUESTION THE RULES. Lee notes that, “Not only are bad rules made without due diligence, but they are also embraced and cherished by much of the population. It only makes the “Wealth equals Power equals Corruption” dynamic worse as people profit from the conflagration of incompetence which leads to more waste and corruption. In other words, people want to be governed, the government grows, and it becomes too large and cumbersome to be effective. The “box” is stuffed with tangled rules.
CHICKEN AND EGG. It’s a bit of a chicken and an egg problem, to counter this you need sane and reasonable people in governance, to make laws devoid of proactive discrimination, to focus people on flowing with individual will, to not interfere with the will of another unless another is harming them, and if the situation becomes where one wishes to be harmed by another in some way, then that person in the dominating interpersonal position is responsible for the actions and care of the submissive person, to ensure responsibility is metered out fairly to limit abuse from drugs or any contract or job, to ensure people are innocent until proven guilty, which means if good capable people are in governance then incompetence and corruption would be mitigated. And yes jobs and contracts have their own rules and balanced-out responsibilities. If you handwave away people’s basic responsibilities to each other, to do no harm to each other, to ensure a stable environment, then you get what we have now, a legal system that allows any law to be “for your protection” to be enacted and then enforced with punitive measures and opportunities for others to report “non-compliers” because the system is desperate for money to maintain the system.”
This is episode 171 of The Safety Doc Podcast published on 03-01-2022. This podcast and blog post represent the opinions of David P. Perrodin and his guests to the show. The content here is for informational purposes only. Please consult with your safety professional regarding the unique needs of yourself or your organization.
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