Legal statute requiring those persons lobbying on behalf of a foreign government or other entity to register such with the U.S. government.
Folks like Mike Flynn and Jared Kushner ran afoul of this law during their time in the US government.
History of FARA
The Foreign Agents Registration Act, often abbreviated as FARA, is a United States law passed in 1938. The purpose of FARA is to ensure that the U.S. government and the people of the United States are informed about the source of information (propaganda) and the identity of people trying to influence U.S. public opinion, policy, and laws on behalf of foreign principals.
The Act requires every person who acts as an agent of foreign principals in a political or quasi-political capacity to make periodic public disclosure of their relationship with the foreign principal. This includes activities, receipts, and disbursements in support of those activities. Disclosure of the required information facilitates evaluation by the government and the American people of the statements and activities of such persons.
The Act is administered and enforced by the FARA Unit of the National Security Division (NSD) of the United States Department of Justice.
FARA does not restrict publishing of materials or viewpoints; rather, it requires agents representing the interests of foreign powers to disclose their relationship with the foreign government and information about related activities and finances.
Originally, FARA was passed in 1938 in response to concerns about German propaganda agents in the United States in the years leading up to World War II, but its usage has evolved over time. The Act has been amended several times, most significantly in 1966 when its scope was narrowed to focus more specifically on agents working in a political context.
Non-compliance with FARA has become a more prominent issue in recent times, with several high-profile investigations and prosecutions related to the Act. The Act received significant media attention during and after the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, when it was invoked in investigations related to foreign interference in the election — particularly Russian election interference.
None in the Sedition Trial of US Nazi sympathizers (1944)
None in Fort Smith sedition trial (1988) — Louis Beam and the Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord white supremacist and Christian nationalist group
None in Hutaree trial (2010)
Does that make this the first successful sedition conviction of white paramilitaries?!
Before January 6, there came these attempts to overthrow the American government.
Christian Front trial (1940-41)
The Christian Front trial of the 1940s was a highly publicized criminal trial in the United States that took place in 1940 and 1941. The Christian Front was a right-wing, antisemitic, and pro-Nazi organization that was active in New York City in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
Psychological projection is a defense mechanism that occurs when an individual unconsciously attributes their own feelings, thoughts, or attributes to another person. Projection is a way for people to cope with and protect themselves from unwanted or uncomfortable emotions such as guilt, anger, or anxiety. In essence, psychological projection involves transferring one’s own emotions, thoughts, or motives onto someone else, as a means to avoid confronting or dealing with them directly.
Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, initially conceptualized projection as a defense mechanism. According to Freud, the mind has various ways to protect itself from psychological distress or anxiety, and projection is one of many methods. While Freud’s work laid the foundation for understanding projection, our understanding of the concept has evolved over time, with many modern psychologists examining its cognitive, social, and emotional aspects.
Several factors contribute to the likelihood of an individual engaging in psychological projection. These factors include personality traits, social and cultural influences, and situational factors. People who are more prone to projection often have a higher level of neuroticism or difficulty regulating their emotions. Social and cultural factors can also play a role, as people may be more likely to project certain emotions or traits onto others depending on societal norms and expectations. Situational factors, such as stress or emotional conflict, can further exacerbate the tendency to project.
Types of projection
There are various types of psychological projection, including:
Complementary projection: This occurs when an individual projects their own feelings or thoughts onto someone who has a complementary role in their life, such as a partner or coworker. This type of projection can often be seen in relationships, where one person may accuse their partner of being unfaithful when, in fact, they are the ones who are struggling with feelings of infidelity.
Complimentary projection: In this form of projection, an individual attributes positive qualities or traits that they themselves possess onto someone else. This may be done to reinforce a positive self-image or to maintain a sense of self-worth.
Projective identification: This is a more complex form of projection in which an individual not only attributes their own emotions, thoughts, or motives onto another person but also manipulates the other person into actually exhibiting those characteristics. This can be seen in interpersonal relationships where one person tries to control or manipulate the other to confirm their own beliefs or fears.
Collective projection: This occurs when a group of individuals projects their shared feelings, thoughts, or motives onto another group, often as a means of maintaining group cohesion or protecting the group’s image. This type of projection can be seen in situations of intergroup conflict, where one group might blame another for problems that actually stem from within their own group.
Negative consequences of projection
Psychological projection can have several negative consequences, both for the individual engaging in projection and for those on the receiving end. For the projector, it can prevent them from taking responsibility for their actions, feelings, or thoughts, thereby hindering their personal growth and emotional development. It can also distort their perception of reality, leading to poor decision-making and strained relationships.
For those on the receiving end, psychological projection can be confusing, hurtful, and damaging. It can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, and emotional distress. Additionally, being subjected to projection can cause individuals to question their own reality and self-worth, potentially leading to feelings of self-doubt or depression.
Projection in politics
Politicians and their supporters often engage in projection as a way to deflect criticism, discredit opponents, and maintain a positive image of themselves or their party. Projection in politics can manifest in various ways, including the following:
Accusing opponents of misconduct: Politicians may accuse their opponents of engaging in unethical or illegal activities that they themselves are involved in, as a way to deflect attention from their own actions and create doubt about the opposition (classic example: when then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich waged a campaign against then-President Bill Clinton for having an affair, while he himself was having an affair with a Congressional aide on his staff).
Misattributing motives: Politicians might project their own motives or goals onto their opponents, suggesting that the other side is pursuing an agenda driven by selfish or malicious intent. This can be a way to delegitimize the opposition’s policy proposals or campaign messaging.
Stereotyping and scapegoating: Projection can also be seen in the form of stereotyping and scapegoating minority groups or other marginalized communities. Politicians may project their own insecurities, fears, bigotries, or prejudices onto these groups, blaming them for social or economic problems, as a way to rally support and distract from the real issues at hand.
Groupthink and collective projection: Political parties, factions, or movements may engage in collective projection, projecting their own faults or shortcomings onto rival groups. This can help maintain group cohesion and reinforce a shared identity, but it can also contribute to political polarization and conflict.
Projection in politics can have several negative consequences, including the distortion of facts and reality, the exacerbation of political polarization, and the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudice. It can also hinder constructive dialogue and compromise, making it more difficult for politicians and policymakers to address pressing issues and find solutions to problems.
To counteract the influence of projection in politics, it is essential for individuals to remain vigilant and critically examine the claims and accusations made by politicians and political parties. Media outlets and journalists also play a crucial role in fact-checking and holding politicians accountable for their statements and actions. Encouraging open and honest dialogue, promoting empathy and understanding, and fostering critical thinking can help mitigate the impact of projection in the political arena.
Emotional blackmail is a manipulative tactic used by individuals to exert control and undue influence over others by exploiting their emotions, fears, and vulnerabilities. It typically involves the use of threats, guilt, negative emotions, and other influence techniques to pressure someone into complying with the manipulator’s demands or desires.
Forms of emotional blackmail
Threats: The manipulator may threaten to harm themselves, the victim, or someone the victim cares about if their demands are not met.
Guilt-tripping: The manipulator may try to make the victim feel guilty for not complying with their wishes, suggesting that their refusal indicates a lack of love, care, or loyalty.
Fear: The manipulator may use the victim’s insecurities, anxieties, or fears to manipulate them into submission.
Obligation: The manipulator may insist that the victim “owes” them something, such as a favor or support, in order to pressure them into compliance.
Emotional predators use blackmail
Emotional blackmail can be subtle or overt and may occur in various types of relationships, including romantic partnerships, friendships, family, and professional settings. Emotional predators (often people with personality disorders) tends to use psychological manipulation techniques to get what they want from you — without much (or any) regard for your own feelings in the matter, or the ethical dubiousness of doing so.
Recognizing and addressing emotional blackmail is essential for maintaining healthy boundaries and relationships.
Propaganda is a form of communication that aims to influence people’s beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors towards a particular cause, idea, or ideology. It involves the use of persuasive influence techniques to shape public opinion and to create a favorable image of a person, group, or organization, while discrediting or demonizing its opponents.
Propaganda can take many different forms, including posters, speeches, films, radio broadcasts, social media posts, and news articles. It can be used for political, social, religious, or commercial purposes, and it is often associated with authoritarian regimes or totalitarian societies.
One of the key characteristics of propaganda is its use of emotional appeals, rather than rational arguments, to sway people’s opinions. Propagandists often appeal to people’s fears, hopes, bigotries, or prejudices, and use catchy slogans, symbols, or images to make their message more memorable and persuasive. They may also use repetition, exaggeration, or distortion of facts to reinforce their message and to create a sense of urgency or crisis.
Disinformation at scale
Another key feature of propaganda is its use of selective or biased information to support its claims and to discredit opposing views. Propagandists may use half-truths, rumors, lies, or Big Lies to create a false or misleading picture of the situation, and to manipulate people’s perceptions of reality. They may also use censorship or propaganda techniques such as suppression of dissent, demonization of opponents, or use of fear to create a chilling climate of fear and intimidation.
Propaganda can also be used to create a sense of unity or identity among a group of people, by emphasizing their shared values, beliefs, or interests, and by portraying outsiders or enemies as a threat to their well-being. Propaganda can thus be used to mobilize people for a common cause, such as a war or a political campaign, or to reinforce existing social norms and values.
However, propaganda can also have negative consequences, such as creating divisions, fostering hatred, or suppressing dissent. It can lead to the dehumanization of other groups or individuals, and to the justification of violence or discrimination. Propaganda can also undermine democracy by limiting people’s access to accurate information and by creating a distorted view of reality.
To resist propaganda, it is important to be critical of the messages we receive, to question the sources and motives of the information, and to seek out alternative perspectives and sources of information. We should also be aware of our own biases and prejudices, and strive to be open-minded and tolerant of different opinions and viewpoints.
McCarthyism refers to the anti-communist political repression and paranoia that swept the United States in the 1940s and 1950s, beginning during the tenure of its originator: Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin. It was a period of intense fear and suspicion of communism during the Cold War that manifested in government investigations, trials, and blacklisting of individuals suspected of being communists or communist sympathizers. The era was marked by a pervasive fear of subversion and betrayal, as many Americans believed that communists were working to infiltrate and undermine American institutions.
The roots of McCarthyism can be traced back to the early 20th century, when communism was viewed as a major threat to Western democracy. The Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise of the Soviet Union fueled anti-communist sentiment in the United States, which intensified during the Red Scare of the 1920s. However, it was not until after World War II that anti-communist fervor reached its peak.
National anti-communist paranoia
In 1947, President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9835, which established a loyalty program for federal employees. The program required all federal employees to undergo a background check and sign a loyalty oath, swearing that they were not members of the Communist Party or affiliated with any other subversive organization. The program was intended to weed out any suspected communists from the federal government, but it soon became the basis for a broader campaign of anti-communist witch-hunts.
In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy rose to national prominence with his claims of widespread communist infiltration in the federal government. In a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, McCarthy claimed to have a list of 205 known communists in the State Department. He provided no evidence to support his claim, but the speech propelled him to the national spotlight and began a period of intense media fascination with the Senator’s provocative claims.
Over the next several years, McCarthy became the face of the anti-communist crusade. He chaired the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and conducted public hearings and investigations into suspected communist activity. Many of his targets were innocent, and his tactics often included intimidation, character assassination, and guilt by association.
Army-McCarthy hearings
McCarthy’s tactics eventually led to his downfall. Between April and June of 1954, he conducted televised hearings to investigate alleged communist influence in the Army. The hearings were a disaster for McCarthy, as he made unfounded accusations and engaged in verbal attacks on witnesses. As the hearings progressed, McCarthy’s behavior became increasingly erratic and confrontational. He bullied and intimidated Army officials and witnesses, often interrupting them and accusing them of lying. His behavior turned public opinion against him, and the hearings marked the beginning of his decline.
The turning point of the hearings came when Army counsel Joseph Welch famously confronted McCarthy after he had attacked a young lawyer in Welch’s law firm:
“Senator, you’ve done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”
Joseph N. Welch, Army chief counsel
The exchange was a defining moment in the hearings, and it marked the beginning of the end for McCarthy’s political career after millions of Americans witnessed his aggressive demagoguery. In fact it went on to become one of the most famous moments in the history of congressional hearings, and is often cited as an example of the power of a well-timed and well-delivered rhetorical response.
The hearings ultimately failed to uncover any evidence of communist infiltration in the Army, but they did expose McCarthy’s reckless and abusive tactics and damaged his reputation. They also demonstrated the power of televised hearings in shaping public opinion and holding government officials accountable.
Historical influence of McCarthyism
McCarthyism had far-reaching consequences for American society. Thousands of people were investigated, blacklisted, and lost their jobs or were denied employment on suspicion of being communist sympathizers. The entertainment industry was particularly hard hit, with many actors, writers, and directors being blacklisted for their political beliefs. The unfounded smears against Hollywood contributed to a negative sentiment on the right-wing that continues even to this day.
The era of McCarthyism also had a chilling effect on free speech and political dissent. Many people were afraid to express their opinions or engage in political activism, for fear of being labeled a communist or communist sympathizer. The era demonstrated the dangers of political repression and the importance of protecting civil liberties and freedom of expression.
McCarthyism was a dark period in American history that was characterized by political repression, paranoia, and fear of communism. It was fueled by the perceived threat of subversion and betrayal, and it led to the persecution of innocent people, the erosion of civil liberties, and a chilling climate of fear and suspicion. The legacy of McCarthyism serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of political repression and the importance of protecting free speech and civil liberties in a democracy.
Cancel culture refers to the practice of publicly calling out or boycotting individuals, companies, or institutions for behavior that is perceived to be offensive, controversial, or problematic. The goal is to hold these entities accountable for their actions and to pressure them to change their behavior.
This can manifest in various ways, such as social media campaigns, petitions, or protests. The aim of cancel culture is often to create social consequences for the perceived wrongdoing, such as loss of employment, loss of social status, or loss of financial support.
History of cancel culture
The term cancel culture emerged out of the earlier concept of political correctness, and gained popularity in the 2010s alongside the rise of social media. Some scholars and media theorists trace the concept of cancel culture back to even earlier phenomena, such as the boycotts and blacklists of the McCarthyism era in the United States on the right, or the call-out culture of feminist and anti-racist movements on the left.
Cancel culture and political correctness are related in that they both involve social and cultural pressure to conform to certain norms of language and behavior. Political correctness refers to the avoidance of language or actions that may be considered discriminatory, offensive, or insensitive, often with the aim of promoting inclusivity and social justice. Both tend to concern themselves with highlighting language, stereotypes, and assumptions rooted in racism, sexism, and other common forms of bigotry throughout history.
Cancel culture vs. political correctness
In some ways cancel culture can be seen as an extension of political correctness, in that it goes a step further by seeking to hold individuals and entities accountable for violating norms of respect and social justice. The collective power of Facebook, Twitter (aka “X”), and other social media outlets has helped activists organize around ethical, moral, and political issues, and provided new tools for achieving accountability goals, through activities such as public shaming, boycotts, or other forms of social and economic pressure.
In my opinion, the right-wing critique of so-called cancel culture is grounded in an erroneous conflation between governmental action and collective organizing by groups of individuals who are themselves often associated with political activism. Cancel culture is often mentioned in the same breath with censorship, whose definition connotes government tyranny and overreach.
I think it’s important to be discerning, in these instances, about who is exercising power and why — is it really a case of the government overreaching (censorship), or is it simply a group of people reacting appropriately to the continued presence of structural racism, sexism, and many other -isms in modern society: and stubbornly so, after decades and centuries of collective social justice work?
Many people around the world were shocked in the aftermath of World War II. How could “polite” society break down so utterly, so swiftly, and so zealously? Why did authoritarian personality traits come to dominate human affairs, seemingly out of nowhere? How thin is this veneer of civilization, really?
The authoritarian personality is characterized by excessive strictness and a propensity to exhibit oppressive behavior towards perceived subordinates. On the flip side, they treat authority figures with mindless obedience and unquestioning compliance. They also have an aversion to difference, ambiguity, complexity, and diversity.
How did they get this way? Are people born with authoritarian personalities, or is the authoritarian “made” predominately by circumstance?
Authoritarian personality studies
A braintrust of scholars, public servants, authors, psychologists, and others have been analyzing these questions ever since. Some of the most prominent thinkers on the subject of authoritarianism were either themselves affected by the Nazi regime, or lived through the war in some capacity. Other more recent contributions have built on those original foundations, refining and extending them as more new history continues to unfold with right-wing behavior to observe.
We glibly believed it could never happen here even though we’ve been warned again and again. And in some sense, even though it’s been here all along — hiding in plain sight. It could happen here, and it did, because it’s happened here before. This dictionary of American authoritarianism collects definitions and charts the rise of language, ideology, tactics, and historical movements of American authoritarians, to arm us with the knowledge we need to understand the tricks of the trade.
For a long time it was convenient to think of authoritarian personality as primarily a European problem, or in any case, a phenomenon that happened elsewhere. We are still waking up (…again) to the scope and depth of the problem, while anti-government groups organize relatively openly and we have yet to see justice for the January 6 attack on our capital. There is much work to be done, and in the meantime we can always continue to educate ourselves about our nation’s history — and the role of slavery, white nationalism, and racism in the shaping of the country and the future class structure of today’s America.
The myth of white innocence is toxic to this understanding. Those who say they “don’t see” race or “don’t want to talk about” race put their white privilege on full display in demanding their right to opt-out of the discussion on race. They’re not interested in having a discussion on race — they’re interested in silencing events like the Tulsa Race Massacre and ensuring we lack the language even to describe the horrors being visited upon human beings by the silencers. The only “discussion” they want to have about the matter is spoken in the words of Smith & Wesson, Chapter AR-15.
American Authoritarianism
White supremacy, in fact, in part inspired Adolf Hitler and the Nazis. In turn, the Nazis inspired the original America First movement at the hands of Charles Lindbergh, a notoriously avowed anti-Semite who vociferously opposed America’s involvement in World War II. Lindbergh and the other early movement conservative extremists lost the battle, and the Allies won the war — thus, fascism as an ideology was defeated in the popular mind for a goodly while.
But prejudice and bigotry are beasts that never sleep — only fitfully slumber and simmer beneath the surface. Bigotry has been rebuilding covertly for years and decades, if it can even be said to have gone away. America has always had its strain of autocratic fascination — and that strain of authoritarianism began flirting with what became fascism in the 20th century. The extremists yearning for a consummation of American fascism have continued to work diligently for almost a century, and have now largely succeeded in injecting a virulent form of nationalism, xenophobia, and isolationism into mainstream GOP politics in the 21st century.
The election of Donald Trump in 2016 seemed to unleash these latent forces that have been amassing since the Reagan years, growing more virulent during the 1990s. From Pat Buchanan and Newt Gingrich of yesteryear to Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ron DeSantis today, the American right-wing is more and more overtly appealing to anti-democratic methods and ideologies — and no longer seem to be regarded as the kooks and cranks of the Republican Party as their equivalents were during the John Birch Society era.
Authoritarianism Dictionary
I’ll be adding to this authoritarianism dictionary over time, as I can chip away at it and as new words get added to the lexicon. It’s highly encouraging that the American people were able to throw off the would-be dictator Trump, but the Republican party continues to press their seditious aims in his name. They continue to trade on the Confederate ideals long defeated, discredited, and dishonored in this nation. Let’s educate each other on the techniques being used against us by the powerful to limit our frames, and to inhibit our awareness, our choices, and our awareness of our choices.
The hour is late, and we must act with all haste.
Term
Topic
Definition
1st Amendment
government
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
2nd Amendment
government
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
13th Amendment
white supremacy
The Amendment that put an end to slavery. It was passed by Congress and ratified by 2/3 of the states in 1865.
14th Amendment
white supremacy
The second Constitutional Amendment passed following the Civil War, the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to freed African American former slaves, along with equal civil and legal rights as specified in the Constitution.
15th Amendment
white supremacy
Third and last of the Reconstruction Amendments, the Fifteenth gave African Americans the right to vote -- and prohibited any type of voter discrimination on the basis of race.
19th Amendment
misogyny
The woman's Suffrage Amendment gave women the right to vote in the United States.
4chan
alt-Right
A notorious internet message board with an unruly culture capable of trolling, pranks, and crimes.
4GW
Fourth-generation warfare, a model of hybrid warfare proposed by William S. Lind (of "cultural Marxism" fame)
8chan
alt-Right
If 4chan wasn't raw and lawless enough for you, you could try the even more right-wing "free speech"-haven 8chan while it still stood (now 8kun). Described by its founder Frederick Bennan as "if 4chan and reddit had a baby," the site is notorious for incubating Gamergate, which morphed into PizzaGate, which morphed into QAnon -- and for generally being a cesspool of humanity's worst stuff.
8kun
alt-Right
The rebranded incarnation of 8chan after being booted offline and haggling with its founder, Frederick Brennan.
abortion
religious extremism
The safe medical procedure for ending a pregnancy.
active measures
Russian
A style of political warfare originating in the Soviet Union in the 1920s incorporating spycraft, disinformation, propaganda, sabotage, and destabilization, among other offensive programs targeting the USSR's geopolitical foes including the United States.
ad populum
Rhetorical fallacy that assumes an opinion shared by the majority is correct -- without consideration of the credentials of the group.
aggrieved entitlement
white supremacy
A term coined by sociologist Michael Kimmel, who documents the perceived emasculation of America's white male uneducated class and their reactionary rage against social justice and marginal groups getting the spotlight.
America's "original sin"
white supremacy
A reference to the institution of slavery.
amoral
abuse & control
Without morality; without empathy or compassion.
anti-abortion
religious extremism
Political movement formed in the 1970s to overturn Roe v. Wade, that has become a major pillar of the Republican Party
anti-Communist
conspiracy theory
The Cold War Red Scare was promulgated by Senator Eugene McCarthy with help from lawyer Roy Cohn -- who later famously weaned Donald Trump in his image. The John Birch Society and movement conservatives seethed about ehe enemies within, as middle America set about booming with the Boomers for an entire generation of widely shared prosperity.
anti-intraception
psychological warfare
Psychologist Theodor Adorno's term for individuals who resist self-reflection and exhibit the absence of looking inward.
anti-racism
A proactive stance against racial prejudice and systemic discrimination, advocating for policies and practices that promote racial equity and justice.
anti-Semitism
Hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jewish people, manifesting in social, economic, and political exclusion or violence.
anti-tax
plutocracy
A political position opposing taxation, often advocating for reduced government spending and intervention in economic affairs.
armed robbery
organized crime
The act of stealing from a person or place using weapons or the threat of violence, constituting a serious criminal offense.
aryan
Historically misappropriated by Nazi ideology to denote a supposed "master race," originally referring to Indo-Iranian language speakers.
Ashe experiments
psychological warfare
A series of 1950s social psychology studies by Solomon Asch demonstrating the influence of group pressure on individual conformity.
ASPD
abuse & control
A mental health condition characterized by a pervasive disregard for others' rights, often leading to deceitful, manipulative, or criminal behavior.
assassination
paramilitary
The killing of a head of state or other important figure for political or ideological reasons, as opposed to murder as a crime of passion.
astroturfing
psychological warfare
The deceptive practice of creating the illusion of grassroots support for a cause or organization, often orchestrated by vested interests.
authoritarianism
government
A governance system where power is concentrated in a single authority, limiting political freedoms and often suppressing dissent.
banality of evil
Hannah Arendt coined the phrase “banality of evil” to refer to the confoundingly commonplace motives of the Nazis who perpetrated some of the worst war crimes in history -- they would never have struck anyone as potential mass murderers before the war.
banana republic
plutocracy
politically unstable countries whose economies are monocultures controlled by an oligarchy; puppet states
bandwagon
The phenomenon where individuals adopt beliefs or behaviors because others do, often leading to a majority opinion or trend.
Biblical inerrancy
The doctrine asserting that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is without error in all its teachings, encompassing theology, history, and science
The Big Lie
A propaganda technique involving the repetition of a colossal falsehood to make it accepted as truth; notably used by Adolf Hitler to describe the deceit he attributed to his enemies.
birth control
misogyny
Methods or devices used to prevent pregnancy, enabling individuals to plan if and when to have children.
birtherism
Conspiracy theory started by Donald Trump claiming that Barack Obama wasn't born in the U.S. and thus, ineligible for the presidency
bitcoin
alt-Right
A decentralized digital currency operating without a central authority, utilizing blockchain technology for secure transactions.
Black Codes
white supremacy
Laws enacted in the post-Civil War Southern United States aiming to restrict African Americans' freedom and compel them to work in a labor economy based on low wages or debt.
black-pilled
A term denoting a pessimistic worldview, often associated with the belief that societal decline is inevitable and irreversible.
BLM
white supremacy
A decentralized social and political movement that began in 2013, aiming to address systemic racism and violence against Black individuals, particularly focusing on issues like police brutality and racial inequality
BLM (Bureau of Land Management)
government
An agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, established in 1946, responsible for administering public lands, primarily in the western United States, overseeing activities such as energy development, livestock grazing, and recreation.
blockchain
alt-Right
Digital ledger of events and transactions that powers cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
blood libel
conspiracy theory
A false and anti-Semitic accusation alleging that Jewish people use the blood of Christians, particularly children, in religious rituals.
Blue Checks
psychological warfare
Reference to Twitter's "verified" feature for certain members, who have satisfied the company that they are who they say they are. Originally the feature was meant to identify the official accounts of news sites and reporters, so it has both an association with -- and a legitimate lineage from -- the media industry.
bolt hole
End Times
A type of retreat or refuge for those in the survivalist subculture, to be absconded to in case of disaster or apocalypse (see also: bug-out location).
Brooks Brothers Riot
Sedition Caucus
A coordinated protest by Republican operatives led by notorious dirty trickster Roger Stone on November 22, 2000, aimed at halting the vote recount in Miami-Dade County during the U.S. presidential election, effectively influencing the election outcome
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
white supremacy
Supreme Court decision ordering the desegregation of schools. Resistance to the ruling took the form of "states' rights" advocates, among much else.
bugman
A derogatory term used by some in the New Right to describe liberal men perceived as lacking traditional masculinity and practical life skills.
bug-out location (BOL)
End Times
A predetermined, often remote, refuge selected by survivalists to retreat to in case of emergencies or societal collapse (see also: bolt hole).
Calexit
Sedition Caucus
A movement advocating for California's secession from the United States to form an independent nation, drawing inspiration from Brexit and gaining attention after the 2016 presidential election
Calvinism
The ideology of predestination means you can't do anything to change your fate, but you can *act* like you're saved and that's close enough, to Calvin.
capital gains tax
plutocracy
A tax levied on the profit realized from the sale of a non-inventory asset, such as stocks or real estate, with rates often lower than those for ordinary income, leading to debates over tax equity.
carried-interest tax
A tax provision allowing investment managers to pay capital gains tax rates on their share of profits, rather than higher ordinary income rates, prompting criticism for favoring wealthy investors over average wage earners.
the Cathedral
conspiracy theory
A term used in certain conspiracy theories to describe an alleged alliance of academia, media, and government institutions purportedly working together to promote a unified ideological agenda (see: Curtis Yarvin)
cathexis
A kind of fusion the people of a nation may claim to feel with the fascist leader.
Citizens United
A Supreme Court case that opened the doorway wide to the influence of dark -- i.e. untradeable, not transparent -- money in American politics.
civil society
The sphere of voluntary associations, organizations, and institutions that exist independently of the government and market, facilitating collective action and public discourse.
Civil War
white supremacy
A conflict between factions or regions within a single country, often over political, social, or economic issues; notably, the American Civil War (1861–1865) was fought over primarily slavery.
climate change denialism
The rejection or dismissal of the scientific consensus on the extent and causes of global climate change, often hindering environmental policy and action.
clown world
conspiracy theory
A slang term used to describe a perception of modern society as absurd or illogical, often employed in a derogatory context to criticize contemporary social and political developments
CloudFlare
Big Tech
A company that protects websites from cyberattacks, it dropped support for 8chan after the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso. The shooter had posted his anti-immigrant manifesto on 8chan before the event, another in a series of eerily similar patterned shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand and a San Diego synagogue.
Cluster B
abuse & control
A category in the DSM-5 encompassing personality disorders characterized by dramatic, emotional, or erratic behaviors, including antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorders
collective narcissism
abuse & control
A psychological phenomenon where individuals exhibit an inflated, unrealistic belief in the greatness of their in-group, leading to sensitivity to criticism and hostility toward out-groups.
Columbine Massacre
political violence
The April 20, 1999, school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, where two students killed 13 people and wounded over 20 others before committing suicide, profoundly impacting U.S. discourse on gun control and school safety.
Communism
government
A political and economic ideology advocating for a classless society where the means of production are communally owned, aiming to eliminate private property and achieve equal distribution of resources.
The Confederacy
political violence
The Confederate States of America, a coalition of 11 Southern states that seceded from the United States in 1860–1861, leading to the Civil War, primarily over the issue of slavery.
conscience
An individual's internal sense of right and wrong, guiding moral decisions and ethical behavior.
conspiracy theory
psychological warfare
A belief or explanation suggesting that events or situations are the result of a secret, often sinister, plot by a group of people or organizations, typically lacking credible evidence.
convict leasing
white supremacy
A system, prevalent in the Southern United States after the Civil War, where prisoners were leased to private businesses for labor, effectively perpetuating forced labor and racial oppression.
copperheadism
white supremacy
A citizen of the North who was against the Civil War and favored negotiating a settlement with the South was referred to, pejoratively, as a copperhead.
covert narcissist
psychological warfare
An individual exhibiting narcissistic traits in subtle or concealed ways, often appearing modest or self-effacing while harboring a strong sense of entitlement and a need for admiration.
Critical Race Theory (CRT)
white supremacy
An academic framework that examines how laws and systems perpetuate racial inequalities, emphasizing the role of institutional and structural racism in society.
Critical Theory
conspiracy theory
A philosophical approach originating from the Frankfurt School of ex-pat Germans who had either escaped or survived Nazi Germany, aiming to critique and change society by analyzing power structures, ideologies, and social injustices.
crocodile tears
A term describing insincere or feigned expressions of sorrow, derived from the ancient belief that crocodiles shed tears while consuming their prey.
crying wolf
The act of raising false alarms or exaggerating dangers, leading others to become skeptical of future warnings, based on Aesop's fable "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."
cultism
The practices and behaviors associated with cults, often involving extreme devotion to a person, idea, or organization, sometimes leading to manipulation or exploitation.
cults
abuse & control
Groups characterized by unorthodox beliefs, intense devotion to a charismatic leader, and practices that may include manipulation, coercion, and isolation from mainstream society.
cultural Marxism
A conspiracy theory alleging that Marxist theorists are subverting Western culture to undermine traditional values, often criticized for its anti-Semitic and far-right origins.
Dark Enlightenment
Also known as neoreaction, a political and philosophical movement rejecting egalitarianism and democracy, advocating for a return to hierarchical and authoritarian governance structures.
Dark MAGA
A fringe movement within the pro-Trump community that embraces authoritarian imagery and rhetoric, often depicted through dystopian and aggressive visuals, advocating for a more radical approach to achieving political goals.
dark money
plutocracy
Political spending by nonprofit organizations that are not required to disclose their donors, allowing for anonymous influence on elections and policy decisions.
death cult
A pejorative term used to describe groups or ideologies that glorify death or engage in practices leading to mass casualties, often applied to extremist organizations or apocalyptic movements.
deep state
conspiracy theory
A term referring to an alleged clandestine network of non-elected government officials and private entities purported to operate independently of elected leadership, influencing and enacting policy without public oversight
democratic socialism
government
A political ideology advocating for a socialist economy characterized by social or collective ownership of the means of production, integrated within a democratic political system that emphasizes political democracy alongside social ownership
desegregation
white supremacy
The end of segregation between white and Black society in the U.S., ending formally in the 1950s and 60s.
disinformation
psychological warfare
Deliberately false or misleading information spread with the intent to deceive or mislead, often used to manipulate public opinion or obscure the truth.
dispensationalism
A theological framework within Christian eschatology that divides history into distinct periods or "dispensations," each marked by specific divine revelations and covenants between God and humanity.
domestic violence
abuse & control
A pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship used by one partner to gain or maintain control over another intimate partner, encompassing physical, emotional, sexual, or psychological harm.
Doomsday Clock
End Times
A symbolic clock created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, representing the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe, with midnight symbolizing the apocalypse; the time is adjusted based on current global threats.
double standard
misogyny
The application of different sets of principles for similar situations, leading to unfair or biased treatment of individuals or groups.
down ballot
government
Refers to political races or issues listed below the top positions on an election ballot, such as local or state offices, which often receive less attention from voters and media.
doxing
abuse & control
The act of publicly revealing an individual's private or personal information without their consent, typically with malicious intent, often leading to harassment or threats.
Drain the Swamp
MAGA
Campaign slogan of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential contest and an ironic political metaphor advocating for the elimination of corruption and entrenched interests within government institutions, signifying reform and transparency; in reality, Trump dramatically increased corruption and self-dealing.
eco-fascist
An individual or ideology that combines environmental concerns with authoritarian, nationalist, or racist beliefs, often advocating for extreme measures to reduce human impact on the environment, sometimes at the expense of marginalized groups.
El Paso Walmart shooting
A mass shooting that occurred on August 3, 2019, in El Paso, Texas, where a gunman killed 23 people and injured 23 others at a Walmart store, targeting Hispanic individuals in what was deemed an act of domestic terrorism.
Emancipation Proclamation
white supremacy
An executive order issued by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, during the Civil War, declaring the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate-held territory, paving the way for the abolition of slavery in the United States.
empathy
The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person, fostering compassion and connection by recognizing and appreciating others' emotional experiences.
estate tax
plutocracy
A tax levied on the net value of a deceased person's estate before distribution to heirs, applicable when the estate's value exceeds a certain threshold, and often subject to debate regarding its impact on wealth transfer and economic inequality.
"Eternal Rome"
Ideology positing Russia as a geopolitical bulwark of conservatism against a weak-kneed West (part of Alexander Dugin's reformulation of Eurasianism theory)
ethnic cleansing
exfiltration
cybersecurity
The removal or copying of data from one server to another without the knowledge of the owner
extra-Constitutional
facial recognition
surveillance capitalism
Technology that matches surveillance video and photography with large databases of known subjects' faces to identify them
Fairness Doctrine
1949 FCC policy requiring broadcast networks to present controversial issues important to the public in a non-partisan way, that was repealed under Reagan in 1987.
fake news
disinformation
false flag
Russian
covert operations designed to deceive by appearing as though they are carried out by other entities, groups, or nations than those who actually executed them
fascism
government
fellow travellers
fifth column
fifth world war
Russian
non-linear war; the war of all against all
filibuster
Financial Crimes Enforcement NEtwork (FinCEN)
organized crime
Department within the Treasury that handles and maiontains FBAR filings from US persons holding in excess of $10,000 in foreign banks.
FISA Court
organized crime
FISA warrant
organized crime
fiscal policy
plutocracy
flat earthers
conspiracy theory
Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)
psychological warfare
Legal statute requiring those persons lobbying on behalf of a foreign government or other entity to register such with the U.S. government.
foreign bank account report (FBAR)
organized crime
Required disclosure to the US treasury by persons holding in excess of $10,000 in funds in foreign banks.
forensics
law enforcement
forever wars
The Frankfurt School
Freedmen's Bureau
FreedomFest
Conservative evangelical event annually in Las Vegas
Free Speech
free trade
plutocracy
fronto-paralimbic area
Part of the brain associated with empathy, along with the anterior insula
fundamentalism
Gab
alt-Right
GamerGate
alt-Right
genocide
gerrymandering
government
The practice of selecting voter districts based on party registration lines so as to make it easier to control larger blocks of the elctorate.
gift tax
plutocracy
"global cabal"
conspiracy theory
euphemism in far-right Russian discourse to refer to a perceived "Jewish conspiracy" behind the international order of institutions like NATO and the EU
globalists
Grand Jury
16 to 23 people impaneled to hear evidence from a legal prosecution, and decide if said prosecution has a caseworthy set of evidence to bring charges.
Greensboro Massacre
white supremacy
Great Awakening
Great Migration
white supremacy
Great Society
government
greed
Guantanamo
happy talk
Tim Snyder's term for the ubiquitous affect of technology & unquestionable conviction that tech is helping significantly and never harming.
human trafficking
organized crime
hybrid warfare
psychological warfare
hypercapitalism
incel
misogyny
"involuntary celibate" -- a male individual who believes society owes him sex
inflation
plutocracy
information warfare
disinformation
integralist
interest rates
plutocracy
internationalist
conspiracy theory
Another word for "globalist" or "cosmopolitanist," all of them also words for Jewish people
interposition
white supremacy
Dubious theory underpinning the idea of states' rights, which is that individual states have veto power over any laws passed by the federal government
Iran-Contra
iron triangle
A conspiracy between organized criminals, corrupt government officials, and business leaders to turn the state into a kleptocracy -- or "rule by thieves"
Jim Crow South
white supremacy
Johnson Amendment
prosperity gospel
Allowed televangelists to funnel tax-free riches into luxury goods and political advocacy
Karen
white supremacy
kayfabe
The "play pretend" convention of presenting a staged performance as if it were spontaneous and authentic -- a trope of professional wrestling.
kleptocracy
Literally, "rule by thieves" -- a system of government in which the people at the top steal wealth from the nation and its people for themselves and their cronies.
Kochtopus
plutocracy
Term for the sprawling political machinery of the Kansas-based billionaire Koch Industries inheritees, Charles and David.
kompromat
Russian
compromising material on a head of state or other important figure; typically used for blackmail purposes
lamestream media
alt-Right
late Republican period
A way of stating a common belief on the New Right, that America is a kind of late-stage Rome awaiting its Caesar
leaderless resistance
liberalism
government
Political and ethical framework based on individual liberty via human rights and equal protection
libertines
literacy tests
lobbying
government
"Lock her up!"
MAGA
Chant led by Mike Flynn at the RNC in 2016, referring to Hillary Clinton's email scandal which turned out to be a nothingburger
Logan Act
government
Lost Cause religion
conspiracy theory
After the Civil War, the Confederates never accepted defeat. Instead, they wove a noble victim mythology into white southern Christianity, in an attempt to memory hole the terrorism they'd wrought -- and wished to continue practicing without scrutiny or accountability, thank you very much.
lynching
white supremacy
Extrajudicial murder, sometimes publicly, of Black men and women -- often for invented crimes
Machiavellian
machine learning
Big Tech
Mafia state
organized crime
A systematic corruption of government by organized crime syndicates.
MAGA
MAGA
"Make America Great Again" -- one of Donald Trump's campaign slogans.
malignant envy
psychological warfare
malignant narcissism
abuse & control
"man code"
Mentioned by Raffensberger in relation to the Trump extortion call: that if Trump hadn't lied about it in public, he might not have released the tape, just chalking it up to "private criminal attempts between two men" aka "man code"
manosphere
misogyny
Marxism
government
the matrix
mental predation
abuse & control
#MeToo
misogyny
microaggressions
micropenis
misogyny
micro-propaganda machine
The “micro-propaganda machine” (MPM) — an influence network that can tailor people’s opinions, emotional reactions, and create “viral” sharing episodes around what should be serious or contemplative issues
millennarianism
conspiracy theory
minority rule
mirror neurons
misogyny
misogyny
MK Ultra
Reportedly a CIA program in the 50s that conducted research into mind control and brainwashing -- its findings were apparently so shocking that the program was shut down and never heard from again.
money laundering
organized crime
Attempts and processes to obscure the sources of funds moving into or through a system
multiculturalism
narcissism
abuse & control
narcissistic collusion
abuse & control
natality
Hannah Arendt's term, and her most hopefuly theory for the future of humankind -- that it will continually be renewed by the literal birth of new generations of humans to reinterpret the human condition and our existence in the world.
national debt
plutocracy
national deficit
plutocracy
national security
NDA
Non-disclosure agreement
negging
abuse & control
neomania
obsession with the new -- a hallmark of American culture
neo-reactionaries
New Deal
government
New Jim Crow
white supremacy
New Right
non-linear warfare
Russian
normalcy bias
novichok
Russian
military-grade nerve agent developed by Russia and used in the poisoning of former FSB agent turned Putin critic Andrei Skripal and his daughter in Lonson in March, 2018
nullification
white supremacy
NRx
neo-Reactionary, an extremist techophilic ideology popular on the right
obstruction
Oklahoma City bombing
oligarchy
plutocracy
one-party state
government
open source intelligence
intelligence
oppo
intelligence
short form of opposition research
outrage industry
surveillance capitalism
PAC
Palantir
surveillance capitalism
paralipsis
disinformation
A rhetorical device in which the speaker feigns ignorance of the thing he or she is saying; "Saying / not saying" -- it offers a thin veneer of plausible deniability in a naked attempt to escape accountabilitty for saying exactly that.
paralogic
psychological warfare
paranoia
Extreme fear to the point of (or beyond) psychological pathology.
pathocracy
organized crime
patriarchy
misogyny
peculiar institution
white supremacy
slavery
peonage
white supremacy
plausible deniability
organized crime
Plessy v. Ferguson
government
1896
plutocracy
government
Political rule by the rich.
political correctness
poll tax
ponerology
The study of evil
populism
government
post-leftist
postmodernism
disinformation
post-truth
disinformation
Potemkin village
government
Any structure or facade built expressly for the purpose of making the situation appear more favorable than it really is
Powell Memo
plutocracy
Lewis Powell's 1970s memo to the wealthy white male elite, in anger over the crackdown against tobacco companies, as a call to arms to organize politically against "anti-capitalist" forces
PR
abuse & control
public relations
previous question rule
A parliamentary rule present in the initial decades of the Senate, borrowed from British law, that allowed the majority proponents of a bill or measure to call an end to debate about the provision with a short warning period of usually about 5 minutes.
Progressive Era
government
propaganda
abuse & control
prosperity gospel
prosocial behavior
psychopath
abuse & control
psyops
Russian
Psychological operations
PUA
misogyny
"Pick Up Artist" -- a self-styled lothario who helps train other would-be casanovas in his ways of manipulative charm
Pulse Nightclub shooting
race riots
white supremacy
race war
white supremacy
The goal of the accelerationist neo-Nazi idealogues is to start a race war and bring down the American government
RAGE
abuse & control
Retire All Government Employees
rape culture
misogyny
Reagonomics
conspiracy theory
the "real economy"
conspiracy theory
What folks on the New Right consider legitimate parts of the American economy: farm and factory jobs that used to sustain a middle-class income
Reddit
Big Tech
the regime
conspiracy theory
regression
repression
retweet
Big Tech
When a Twitter user amplifies the tweet of another, by "retweeting" it out to her or his network
RICO
Right anterior insular cortex
Part of the brain associated with empathy; psychopaths have a deficit here
right-wing authoritarian
government
Roe v. Wade
Ruby Ridge
white supremacy
running out the clock
RWDS
paramilitary
Right-wing Death Squads -- an acronym used by Proud Boys and worn as patches by some members and branches
sadism
abuse & control
sadopopulism
government
Sandy Hook school shooting
abuse & control
savior complex
Like the arsonist who sets the fire and then calls it in to play the hero, right-wingers with the savior complex are constantly holding up the sky as the Evil Democrats try to destroy everything good and holy -- and they want CREDIT for it, dammit!
Second Wave Feminism
misogyny
Section 230
Big Tech
senicide
sexual assault
misogyny
sexual harassment
misogyny
shadow profiles
surveillance capitalism
Data that Facebook collects on people who are not members of Facebook, via association with their friends who are
sharecropping
abuse & control
shared reality
show trials
Russian
Signal
Big Tech
encrypted messaging app
Silicon Reich
sit-ins
Nonviolent demonstration method used heavily in the 1960s
SJW
white supremacy
Social Justice Warriors -- used as a pejorative by the alt-Right
socialism
government
sociopathy
abuse & control
sockpuppet accounts
disinformation
Fake social media accounts used by trolls for deceptive and covert actions, avoiding culpability for abuse, aggression, death threats, doxxing, and other criminal acts against targets.
SMS
Big Tech
texting
special interest groups
government
spearphishing
cybersecurity
An email designed to appear as if from a trusted source, to solicit information that allows the sender to gain access to an account or network, or installs malware that later enables the sender to gain access to an account or network
spite voter
government
stand your ground
stochastic terrorism
paramilitary
suffrage
government
The right to vote, sometimes referred to as "the franchise."
SuperPAC
government
supremacy
surveillance capitalism
surveillance state
abuse & control
swatting
alt-Right
hoaxed reports to emergency services intended to provoke a SWAT team response at the target's home; a form of Internet-based attack used by Gamergate, the alt-Right, and other groups and individuals
symbiosis
symbolic violence
tax avoidance
plutocracy
tax fraud
organized crime
tax havens
plutocracy
Third Wave Feminism
misogyny
totalism
psychological warfare
total war
Russian
trial balloon
psychological warfare
Information put out or leaked to the media to gauge public reaction.
trickle-down economics
conspiracy theory
truth decay
conspiracy theory
The Turner Diaries
white supremacy
Tulsa Race Massacre
white supremacy
A mob of murderous whites descended on the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, dubbed Black Wall Street, and razed it to the ground. They dropped homemade bombs in the first ever domestic aerial attack on American soil. Over three hundred Blacks were murdered and hastily buried or burned. Police and other state officials were complicit; no one was ever charged for the crimes and insurance companies refused to honor Black business owner's claims from the destruction of their livelihood and senseless slaughter of their friends, families, and community.
Twitter
Big Tech
Uberman
unmasking
cybersecurity
Intelligence protocol redacting American identities from transcripts of foreign intercepts
vast right-wing conspiracy
volcel
Voting Rights Act
white supremacy
Waco, TX
paramilitary
wag the dog
abuse & control
wage gap
misogyny
war crimes
Watergate
watering hole
cybersecurity
hacker attacks that infect entire websites
whataboutism
Russian
Classic debate tactic of old Soviet apologists to deflect criticism of Soviet policy; whenever an American would levy a critique, the response would be, "What about the bad things America does?"
white collar crime
organized crime
white nationalism
white supremacy
women's liberation
misogyny
word salad
World War I
WWI gave job opportunities to blacks in the North, causing a great migration -- as well as a backlash and resistance from Southern law enforcement.
World War II
Yes California
Movement to secede from the US entirely, run by Marcus Ruiz Evans, Louis J. Marinelli
Blood libel is a very old anti-Semitic myth that has stubbornly persisted for centuries, one of several conspiracy theories that have scapegoating the Jewish people for all of society’s ills at their core. The heart of the false claim is that Jews murder non-Jewish (or Gentile) children to use their blood for apocryphal religious rituals, during Passover and other prominent Jewish holidays.
Originating from a series of stereotypes about Jews amassed through the ages, blood libel is also intimately related to the global cabal conspiracy theory and was heavily used in Nazi ideology to justify the horrors of the Holocaust. Somewhat ironically, the Nazis claimed that the Jewish people were inherently violent and murderous — and used this baseless claim as justification of their own systematic program of violence and murder of over 6 million Jewish people in Germany during the 1930s and 40s.
The outlandish claims of blood libel have been thoroughly and repeatedly debunked by scholars, historians, anthropologists, psychologists, and an armada of dedicated truth-tellers — yet the stickiness of the myth persists, even after the consequences of this toxic belief system of antisemitism became apparent during World War II. Today, the blood libel myth has been given new life in the modern revision known as the QAnon conspiracy theory — a movement which contains elements of blood libel, global cabal theory, and a hodge podge of other fantastical and fanatical belief systems that have hooked gullible populations throughout history.
Psychopaths are the pinnacle creatures of Cluster B — a group of personality disorders that all include pathological narcissism or NPD as a foundation. A psychopath is a cold-blooded human predator, devoid of empathy — they can be very cruel and very dangerous. They feel no shame — they consider shame the hallmark of Lesser People.
Psychopaths and their slightly-less-chilling counterparts the sociopaths (together: ASPD) make up roughly 5% of the general population — a figure which generally shocks people. That’s right — about 1 in 20 of all the people you have ever met, functionally speaking, have very little conscience. Some of them choose to behave ethically for various purposes, but many do not. They are certainly not to be trusted.
Part of the dark triad
The dark triad in psychology refers to psychopathy along with two other personality traits: narcissism, and Machiavellianism. These individuals exhibit a manipulative and malevolent style with others.
Attributes of psychopaths (this page is a work in progress):
It’s important to note, though, that not all sociopaths are killers — far from it. These are simply the notable examples most people have heard of, to get a reference point on what these personality types are like.
Most sociopaths — unfortunately — are the guy next door, the woman at work, or the dude who took you home in his Uber. They’re someone you know.
Mental models are different ways of mapping or viewing a system or a problem. They are frameworks that help explain what’s going on, and predict what’s likely to happen next.
Model thinking is an excellent way of improving our cognition and decision making abilities. Thinking in models helps us understand how new concepts fit with older observations, and what theories and metaphors are likely to endure.
They are useful in strategy, decision-making, analysis, planning, and a broad range of applications in both our personal and professional lives. It’s a good investment to spend time learning models — which are most typically extensible outside their original field of interest.
Often more than one model can apply to a situation or problem. Models are useful for picturing the issue in a different way, through a different lens — and perhaps to see something before unseen. They can help us try out different scenarios with ideas or personas.
Top Models and Concepts
We all have learnings in our lives we consider more precious than others — explanations and predictions that endure and keep on giving, versus those that fade away. Our core models form the backbone of our thinking and decision-making throughout our lives; it’s our grab bag of problem solving tools — and we want to have a resilient Swiss Army Knife at the ready at all times. These mental models help us understand a complex world, and prepare for all the changes that are inevitably ahead.
This set of top models below is my personal “desert island” set of model thinking concepts. These are the ones I really wouldn’t want to be caught dead leaving the house without.
Once these are on lock, head over to the unabridged models section for more model thinking goodness!
I will continue to add to this list over time as well as fill in the number of holes that remain in the set. Learning about new mental models is one of my favorite activities — it’s the closest thing to a superpower I can think of.
Term
Type
Topic
Definition
80/20 rule
Model
Economics
Also known as a power law, or the Pareto Principle
absolute advantage
Term
Economics
The ability of a party to produce a product or service more efficiently than any of its competitors.
absolute value
Term
Math
The value of a function irrespective of its sign (positive or negative). Its distance from zero, expressed as a positive.
accessibility
Term
Psychology
How easy something is to call to mind
acquittal
Legal precedent
Law
A judgment of not guilty in a criminal trial
activation energy
Term
Science
A chemistry term that describes the minimum energy required for a chemical system to react; the amount of energy required to get two or more compounds to react.
adverse selection
Term
Economics
Insurance phenomenon in which buyers or sellers in a transaction can use insider knowledge to unfairly get a better advantage over the other party or parties
a fortiori
Logic
Logic
From the Latin, "from a stronger argument," the phrase refers to conclusions for which there is stronger evidence than a previously accepted one.
akrasia
Term
Psychology
A state of mind where someone acts against their own better judgment due to weakness of will.
alea iacta est
Metaphor
Metaphor
In Latin, "the die is cast" -- attributed to Julius Caesar as he crossed the river Rubicon, leading an attack on Rome: a metaphor for a point of no return.
allocation
Method
Economics
Distributing resources, assets, or funds amongs recipients.
"All the world's a stage“
Metaphor
Arts
Shakespearean metaphor likening culture to a theatrical performance: "And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances ..."
—William Shakespeare, As You Like It
Amara's Law
Theory
Science
We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.
annuity
Term
Economics
A series of regular payments at equal intervals.
antifragility
Model
Economics
Things that can benefit from disorder, and grow stronger amidst chaos. When something grows stronger under stress; when there is more upside to downside of experiencing a shock to the system.
antimatter
Theory
Science
Antimatter particles are the precise opposite charge and spin from their matter counterparts, but identical otherwise.
appreciation
Model
Economics
The tendency of an asset to appreciate, or grow, with value over time.
a priori
Logic
Philosophy
Information deduced from logical precedents versus empirical observation.
arbitrage
Model
Economics
A method of turning profit via simultaneous purchase and sale of the same assets in different markets, benefiting from the differences in listed price in various geographical regions.
archetypes
Symbol
Philosophy
An ideal type; a model after which others are fashioned.
arrow of time
Theory
Science
Theory of physics stating an asymmetry of time -- that time has a one-way direction in which the entropy of the universe is only increasing. Although human beings perceive the past as being different from the future -- and that we remember the past, but not the future -- intrinsically there is nothing in the structure of the universe that defines past from future. Time is instead an emergent feature.
artificia docuit fames
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
Latin saying meaning, "sophistication is born out of hunger" -- a metaphor for innovation and genius being awakened by challenge, difficulty, and constraints.
ASCII
Term
Technology
American Standard Code for Information Interchange: a standard character translation table used by computers to convert numerical representations into printable characters.
asking a fish about water
Metaphor
Metaphor
There are these two young fish swimming along, and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, “What the hell is water?”
asset
Term
Economics
A valuable object or good.
astroturfing
Method
Politics
The deceptive political practice of paying operatives to pose as members of the public engaging in "grassroots protest" as a way of adding plausible deniability as well as amplification of their point of view.
asymmetric encryption
Term
Computer Science
Also known as public-key cryptography, asymmetric encryption encrypts and decrypts the data using two separate keys that are related mathematically (a public and a private key).
asymptote
Term
Math
The graph of a curve as it is approaching a numerical value or limit, but never quite reaching it.
autophagy
Experimental finding
Biology, Medicine
The body's way of cleaning out damaged cells and replace them with newer, healthier cells. Literally, "self-eating."
availability bias
Model
Psychology
Cognitive distortion arising from the unconscious preference for information that is recent rather than what is representative.
average
Method
Math
A measure of central tendency of a set of data, whether the mean, media, or mode.
balance sheet
Method
Economics
A financial document showing the book value of a company, i.e. how much it's worth.
balancing loop
Model
Systems theory
A balancing loop attempts to move a current state (the way things are) to a desired state (goal or objective) though an action (thing(s) done to reach the goal).The balancing loop is one of the two foundational structures of systems thinking, along with the Reinforcing Loop. A balancing loop is representative of any situation where there is a goal or an objective and action is taken to achieve that goal or objective.
Baldwin Effect
Model
Science
As organisms learn to shape their environment, they can alter the path of evolution. For example, with the advent of dairy farming, selection pressures began favoring lactose absorption genes in humans.
bank reserves
Term
Economics
Cash minimums banks must have on hand to meet regulatory requirements ensuring the financial system is equipped to handle periodic shocks in demand for withdrawals.
bank run
Term
Economics
Economic term for when a large group of bank depositors withdraw their money all at once -- once a common occurrence that rarely happens anymore in the modern world.
base conversion
Math
Math
The base is how many numbers there are in a number system; we use base 10 primarily, and computers use base 2, aka binary. Base conversion is the method of converting numbers from one base system to another.
Base Rate Fallacy
Model
Psychology
A type of fallacy in which people tend to ignore the general prevalence of something in favor of specific anecdotes.
base weighting
Math
Statistics
Bayes' Theorem
Method
Math
A mathematical method of determining the updated probability of a certain event or case, given new information.
bend the knee
Metaphor
Social psychology
Give up one's own opinion and swear fealty to a higher authority.
beta
Method
Economics
In finance, a term that refers to investments tracking the broad market performance of an exchange or industry sector
The Big Bang
Model
Science
The massive explosion which spawned our entire universe, back at the beginning of time.
The Big Crunch
Model
Science
binary numbers
Math
Math
binomial distribution
Math
Statistics
Binomial Theorem
Theory
Math
black hole
Theory
Science
Black-Scholes model
Model
Economics
Black Swan
Model
Economics
A highly improbable and unexpected event -- which yet occurs with more frequency than one might generally assume.
blockchain
Term
Technology
The basis of cryptocurrency, blockchain technology is a kind of public ledger or shared database that records transactions transparently and out in the open, in a way that anyone can access or verify.
boiling frog
Metaphor
Philosophy
A metaphor for the common occurence of slow, gradual changes over time not being noticed, like the (contested) legend of a scienfitic experiment that boiling a frog alive by starting with tepid water and slowly turning up the temperature.
bond
Method
Economics
Boyle's Law
Scientific Law
Science
A scientific law that describes the relationship between the pressure and the volume of a confined gas.
boundary object
Theory
Technology
Information science concept describing information used in different ways, by different communities, for collaborative work through scales.
bounded rationality
Experimental finding
Psychology
A central challenge to the c. 1776 ideas of Adam Smith regarding the Invisible Hand of markets, this 20th c. psychological theory posits that rather than making optimized rational decisions, at most times the average person is "satisficing" or making the most expedient choice under considerable constraints and lack of available information
bricolage
Method
Arts
Combination of many types and forms into one piece; a pastiche or mashup of style and cultural referents
broken windows theory
Theory
Law
Butterfly Effect
Model
Science
bystander effect
Experimental finding
Psychology
cadence
Term
Arts
camel's nose
Metaphor
Philosophy
a metaphor describing how allowing a smaller innocuous act may lead to larger acts that are undesirable
capital gains
Term
Economics
Money that is earned as a result of a stock investment appreciating in value — the capital "gains in value"
capital requirements
Economics
Actual cash on hand for banks to theoretically offer at a given time, with the rest lended out as leverage
carbon-14
Scientific Law
Science
carbon dating
Method
Science
A way to scientifically determine the age of an organic object by radioactive decay.
carpe diem
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
In Latin, "seize the day" -- a reference often used to motivate oneself and others to act boldly and live vigorously in the moment.
cartel
Economics
catalyst
Model
Science
categorical data
Math
causa-sui project
Theory
Psychology
cause and effect
Model
caveat emptor
Ancient Wisdom
Strategy
"Beware, the buyer" in Latin -- a reference to a warning about what one is getting into.
cellular automata
Math
Central Limit Theorem
Math
Statistics
In probability theory, the CLT establishes that independent random variables when measured will tend towards the normal distribution.
central tendency
Math
Statistics
A measure of the midpoint of a data set; includes mean, median, and mode.
ceteris paribus
Method
Economics
"All other things being equal"; holding the effects of other variables constant to determine the effects on a single variable of interest.
charge preservation
Science
charlatan
Psychology
one who aspires to wealth &/or fame through trickery and deception
Chesterton's Fence
Model
Metaphor
chilling effect
Term
History
The inhibition of one's legitimate exercise of natural and legal rights by threat of legal sanction.
cognitive bias
Experimental finding
Psychology
collapse
Model
Systems theory
comparative advantage
Economics
composite events
Statistics
in probability
compound interest
Model
Economics
conditionals
Math
Condorcet Jury Theorem
Math
Statistics
confidence interval
Statistics
the range of values over which a predicted outcome may lie; the amount of certainty one has about the predicted value falling within the estimated range
confirmation bias
Experimental finding
Psychology
conflation
Psychology
consent of the governed
Philosophy
Politics
Concept of political philosophy in which a government's legitimacy and right to use state power is only justified if consented to by the people over whom said power is wielded.
consequentialism
Philosophy
conservation of energy
Scientific Law
Chemistry
In a closed system, total energy remains constant.
conservation of mass
Scientific Law
Physics
In a closed system, mass remains constant.
conservation of momentum
Scientific Law
Physics
In a closed system, momentum remains constant.
constraints
Math
Consumer Sentiment Index
Economics
continuous vs. discrete variables
Statistics
Copernican theory of the solar system
Scientific Law
Science
correlation
Statistics
correlation coefficient
Statistics
correlation is not causation
Scientific Law
Statistics
cosine
Math
Math
counterfactual
countervailing power
Economics
Economist John Kenneth Galbraith's concept for how collective worker power is needed to balance against growing corporatism in the economy.
creative destruction
Model
Economics
Economist Joseph Shumpeter's idea for how the business cycle works: by innovation disrupting established processes and industries and forcing change into markets, often destructively and swiftly.
credo quia absurdum
"I believe because it is absurd" — Tertullian's defense of belief in the miracles attributed to Christ
critical mass
Science
crossing the Rubicon
Metaphor
History
Making a decision from which there is no turning back; a reference to Julius Caesar's overthrow of the Roman republic to found the Roman Empire in 49 BCE.
cross-sectional data
Math
crowdfunding
Economics
crowdsourcing
Method
Systems theory
cryptocurrency
Economics
Dark Matter
Theory
Science
dead hand of the past
Philosophy
History
Problem inherent in constitutional political philosophy, where eventually a people becomes ruled by "masters" no longer alive, who rule by "fiat" via a document, from beyond the grave (Thomas Jefferson's concept)
death spiral
decision theory
Systems theory
decision tree
Method
Computer Science
de minimis
Legal precedent
Law
depreciation
Method
Economics
derivatives
Math
diminshing marginal utility (DMU)
Model
Economics
directory structure
Computers
dispersion
Math
Statistics
the amount of variation within a set of data; how spread out the data points are from each other
distributions
Math
Statistics
divergent thinking
Psychology
diversity
Experimental finding
Science
Diversity Prediction Theorem
dividend payments
Method
Economics
Periodic, usually quarterly, payouts to stockholders of the company when posting profits. Along with capital gains, one of the 2 primary reasons to invest in stocks.
Dodd-Frank Act of 2010
Legal precedent
Economics
definitive financial regulation of the financial industry following the 2007-8 financial crisis
domain dependence
Doppler Effect
Scientific Law
Physics
double helix
doxa
Social psychology
common belief or opinion
Drake Equation
Model
Science
Estimation of the number of technological civilizations that might exist in the universe.
dualism
Philosophy
Dunbar number
Theory
Psychology
Dunning-Kruger Effect
Experimental finding
Psychology
A cognitive bias in which people mistakenly assess their cognitive ability as higher than it actually is, because they cannot recognize their incompetence in comparison to others.
Duverger's Law
Model
Politics
Holds that plurality-rule elections within single member districts — such as the structure found in the U.S. — tend to favor two-party systems
Easterlin paradox
Experimental finding
Economics
Beyond a certain point, countries don't get happier as they get richer.
economies of scale
Economics
edge case
Metaphor
Science
elasticity; price elasticity
Model
Economics
The ability of pricing mechanisms to respond quickly or less quickly to changes in prevailing conditions.
elasticity of demand
Model
Economics
elasticity of supply
Model
Economics
electromagnetic spectrum
Scientific Law
Science
electron cloud
Model
Science
Refers to the true nature of an electron's existence around an atom, wherein its location in space is not a definite point, but a fuzzy region of probable occurence.
elephants and flies
Metaphor
Economics
Sales concept to quickly segment leads into size buckets, from elephants > deers > rabbits > mice > flies.
elephant and rider
Model
Psychology
Psychological idea about how our unconscious and semi-conscious desires dominate us, but can be directed by reason (Jonathan Haidt et al)
embargo
Legal precedent
Economics
Emperor's New Clothes
Metaphor
Government
encryption
Math
ensemble learning
Method
Technology
entropy
Scientific Law
Science
The disorder of a system increases over time.
epistemology
Philosophy
e pluribus unum
Symbol
Politics
Latin: "one out of many" — one of several phrases on the American dollar bill, it refers to the unity of the nation as made up of its many peoples and as such, signifies the republic.
equality under law
Legal precedent
Politics
An ancient principle of vital importance to almost every constitution in the world, stating that all people should be treated equally in the eyes of the law, and that all individuals are subject to the same set of laws
equilibrium
Science
A resting condition all systems seek, in which all competing inflows and outflows are in balance.
equity
Economics
equity crowdfunding
Economics
error-embracing
Psychology
event horizon
Scientific Law
Physics
A boundary beyond which events cannot affect on observer, such as the edge of a black hole.
evolution
Scientific Law
Science
exception handling
Method
Computer Science
The process of responding to the occurrence of exceptions -- unexpected conditions that throw the application into an error state and must be resolved before continuing.
exchange rates
Economics
The value of one country's currency as measured against another
existentialism
Philosophy
exit strategy
Method
Economics
externalities
Economics
extrapolation
Statistics
factorial
Math
factum tacendo, crimen facias acrius
Philosophy
He who does not stop a crime is an accomplice.
fact /value problem
Philosophy
fake news
Media
false negatives
Logic
Science
false positives
Logic
Science
false consensus effect
Experimental finding
Social psychology
falsifiability
Logic
Science
Ability to be proven untrue; a requirement for a theory to be called scientific.
Feynman Technique
Method
Science
A method of learning and remembering difficult concepts by simplifying them until you can explain it to a new student or layperson who knows nothing about that concept.
fiat money
Economics
fiduciary duty
Legal precedent
Economics
fifth column
Model
Politics
A group who unites in secret to undermine a larger group from within.
file system
Metaphor
Computer Science
filter bubble
Metaphor
Social psychology
first mover advantage
Experimental finding
Strategy
first principles
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
fishing expedition
Metaphor
fitness function
Term
Science
In AI, refers to a set of selection criteria applied to a set of potential solutions to a problem to allow only the better candidates to survive to the next generation.
flâneur
Term
Arts
force multiplier
Model
Science
fractals
Math
Computer Science
fractional lending
Method
Economics
Fractional reserve banking is the traditional way of doing business, in which banks loan out multiples of the assets they actually have on hand. This falls apart if there is ever a run on the bank, when every client demands their money back at the same time.
fractions
Term
Math
fragility
Philosophy
framing
Psychology
free trade
Method
Economics
free will
Philosophy
Philosophy
freshwater vs. saltwater economists
Economics
Friend of the Court filing
Law
FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt)
Social psychology
fundamental attribution error
Experimental finding
Psychology
future value
Economics
gain
Term
Arts
In audio recording, a control that allows more or less of the source sound into the channel being recorded.
game theory
Math
Gates' Law
Theory
Philosophy
The idea that software development speed halves every 18 months, negating the acceleratory effects of Moore's Law and preventing computing from leaping greatly forward.
Gaussian distribution
Term
Statistics
the Normal distribution
GDP (Gross Domestic Product)
Model
Economics
The sum of all public and private goods produced within a given period; a measure of a country's economic health.
general relativity
Theory
Science
general will
Model
Government
generalists and specialists
Philosophy
genetic algorithms
Science
An approach to AI based on evolutionary models, in which multiple candidate solutions to a problem are generated randomly by mutation and recombination, then iterated over thousands of generations through fitness functions to weed out the best of each generation.
germ theory of disease
Scientific Law
Gettier problem
Philosophy
gilding the lilly
Metaphor
Arts
Speaking so floridly of a subject that one actually tarnishes its natural beauty.
GOFAI
Technology
"Good Old-Fashioned Artificial Intelligence" — reference to the style and general algorithmic approach of early artificial intelligence work, which fell out of popularity over the decades in favor of more organic neural net and evolutionary approaches.
Golden calf
Golden Mean
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
Aristotelian theory of an ideal balance point between the many extremes we face in life; he advocated harmony between the various spheres of life for an experience of happiness.
Golden Rule
Ancient Wisdom
Culture
"Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you" is the essence of this ancient wisdom, often used as a shorthand version of Jesus's core teaching.
Goldilocks Zone
Model
gold standard
Legal precedent
Economics
gravity
Scientific Law
Science
gravity waves
Physics
habeas corpus
Legal precedent
Law
habitus
Theory
Social psychology
Hanlon's Razor
Model
Philosophy
never attribute to malice what is adequately described by carelessness
hard determinism
Philosophy
harmonics
Arts
hearts and minds
Politics
hedge funds
Economics
hedonism
Philosophy
Philosophy
Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
Theory
Science
hexadecimal numbers
Term
Math
base 6
heuristics
Model
Psychology
Mental shortcuts that we do as a matter of routine, especially when we're stressed or under other types of cognitive constraints.
hormesis
Science
When a small dose of a toxic substance is actually beneficial to the living thing that ingests it
hydra
Metaphor
iatrogenics
Health
harm done by the healer
ice core dating
Method
Science
id, ego, superego
Model
Psychology
Freud's psychological model of the conscious and unconscious mind.
implicit cost
Economics
Imposter Syndrome
Model
Psychology
A psychological pattern in which one doubts their own accomplishments and has a generalized fear of being exposed as a fraud.
index number; indexing
Statistics
inferior goods
Economics
inflation
Model
Economics
inflection point
Math
The point of a curve at which a change in the direction of the curve occurs.
intellectual property
Legal precedent
Economics
IP
interest
Model
Economics
interest rate
Economics
internal rate of return (IRR)
Economics
Internet of Things (IoT)
Term
Technology
intersection
Math
interventionism
Social psychology
Invisible Hand
Theory
Economics
IP addresses
Term
Technology
iron law of oligarchy
Theory
Politics
Political theory positing that no matter how democratic a group may start out, over time it will develop into a bureaucracy ruled by a small handful.
It from Bit
Theory
Physics
John Wheeler's theory about the fundamental informational nature of the universe
Keynesian economics
Theory
Economics
Keynesian Put
Model
Economics
keystone
Kronos Effect
Model
Economics
the tendency of a successful corporation to seek to acquire and/or drive its upstart competitors out of business
Laffer Curve
Theory
Economics
law of excluded middle
Law of Large Numbers
Scientific Law
Math
As the number of coin tosses approaches infinity, the number of heads encountered will converge on 0.5; helpful in calculations of probability.
least-barricaded gate
Metaphor
Politics
Trotsky's metaphor of how social revolutions can take hold more easily in already weakened societies.
lecturing birds how to fly
Metaphor
Metaphor
length contraction
Model
Physics
less is more
Philosophy
Metaphor
L'etat c'est moi
Philosophy
Politics
"I am the state“
leverage
Economics
lifeboat ethics
Philosophy
Philosophy
light-weight process
Computer Science
limit of a function
Term
Math
if the graph of an equation seems to approach a numerical value but never quite reaches it, we say that number is the limit of the function (approaching from the negative or positive direction; sometimes directionality is important)
limiting factor
Model
Systems Theory
linear regression
Method
Math
liquidity
Economics
local min
Model
Systems Theory
idea that to grow out of a stasis or plateau, you likely have to endure a period of "setback" that is a lower dip or minimum value from where you are now, but is what's required to get over the activation energy to reach the next level
locus of control
logarithm
Math
logical fallacies
Philosophy
long tail
Model
Math
In a power law distribution (of population, ages, items, etc.), the region of the graph that tapers off quickly after the initial segment of high data points
loss aversion
Experimental finding
Psychology
Lost Einsteins
Theory
Culture
http://doctorparadox.net/models/lost-einsteins/
loyalists and mercenaries
Metaphor
Systems Theory
maker's time and manager's time
Model
Systems Theory
M1
Economics
M2
Economics
mandala
Ancient Wisdom
Religion
Introcate and elaborate patterns created with colored sand by Buddhist monks, who blow away their creations at the end to signify their celebration of impermanence.
Manichaean
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
a narrowly-defined dualistic worldview of good against evil
man on horseback
Metaphor
Synonym for a demagogue. Comes from French general Georges Ernest Boulanger, and refers to a military leader who presents himself as the savior of the country during a crisis and either assumes or threatens to assume dictatorial powers.
map is not the territory
Metaphor
Metaphor
A phrase reminding us that our mental picture of a thing is not the same as the actual thing itself
margin of error
Math
Statistics
How much uncertainty there is in the results; a percentage the estimate may be bounded by.
marginal benefit
Economics
marginal cost
Economics
marginal returns
Economics
marginal utility
Economics
market share
Economics
Markov chain
Term
Math
Maslow's Hierarchy of needs
Model
Psychology
mean
Math
Statistics
The average value of the numbers in a data set; take the sum of all values and divide by the total number of values in the set.
median
Math
Statistics
Like mean, another way to describe the central tendency of a data set.
Median Voter Theorem
Theory
Politics
megalopsychon
Philosophy
Philosophy
Concept in Aristotelian ethics of living with grandeur and taking risks with dignity; being nonsmall
mens rea
Legal precedent
Law
"guilty mind" — establishing the intent of a perp can help to establish criminal liability
mercantilism
Theory
Economics
meritocracy
Model
Systems Theory
metaphysics
Philosophy
Philosophy
mirror neurons
Experimental finding
Science
mode
Math
Statistics
The frequency with which each data point exists in the set.
monopoly
Model
Economics
Market condition in which there exists only one seller of a resource.
monopsony
Model
Economics
Market condition in which there exists only one buyer of a resource.
Moore's Law
Theory
Technology
Named after Gordon Moore, the model predicts the doubling of transistors on a circuit of equivalent size every 18 months to 2 years. This has many consequences for both technology and economics, including the predictable drop in price of generating the same amount of computing power each period.
moral hazard
Model
Economics
when one party takes on additional risk, knowing that other parties will bear the brunt of the risk in event of a loss
Moravec's Paradox
MVP (minimum viable product)
Term
Economics
naive cynicism
Psychology
State of mind in which people believe others to have more egocentric bias than is warranted or is actually the case.
Narcissus & Echo
Ancient Wisdom
Metaphor
Nash Equilibrium
Theory
Math
nasty, brutish, and short
Theory
Philosophy
natural laws
Science
natural selection
Scientific Law
Science
necessity is the mother of invention
Common Wisdom
Culture
negative externalities
Model
Economics
negative interest rates
Method
Economics
neomania
Experimental finding
Social psychology
love of the modern for its own sake
neural net
Term
Technology
net present value (NPV)
Model
Economics
neuroplasticity
Experimental finding
Science
Newton's first law
Scientific Law
Science
An object in motion will tend to stay in motion, unless acted upon by a force.
Newton's second law
Scientific Law
Science
F = ma, or an object of mass m feeling a force F will tend to accelerate by an amount a.
Newton's third law
Scientific Law
Science
When 2 objects interact, they each apply force on the other in equal amounts magnitude, in the opposite direction.
nodes
Term
Math
noosphere
Thought Experiment
Data science
Sphere of human thought — all interacting minds on earth. An early 1900s concept from Teilhard de Chardin
nominal figures
Economics
nonlinearity
Math
Normal distribution
Scientific Law
Math
normal goods
Economics
normalized weighted average
Statistics
normative and descriptive
Philosophy
noumena
Philosophy
novus ordo seclorum
Symbol
Government
A new order for the ages; Latin phrase seen on the American dollar bill.
null hypothesis
Method
Science
observer effect
Experimental finding
Science
Occam's Razor
Theory
Philosophy
A philosophical rule of thumb that favors the simplest explanation. Also known as the "law of parsimony."
octal numbers
Math
Computer Science
base 8
oligopoly
Term
Economics
omphalos
Politics
opportunity cost
Model
Economics
What you miss out on by using a resource in a certain way -- what you would have done with the resource otherwise; what alternative use you would have put it to.
options
Economics
orders of magnitude
Scientific Law
Math
ordinally ranked data
Statistics
organizational debt
Economics
oscillations
Science
out-group bias
Experimental finding
Social psychology
outlier
Model
Math
Data points that fall well outside of the normal distribution or expected distribution of a data set.
paradox
Model
Logic
A self-contradicting statement or logically impossible event.
paragon
Model
Culture
A standard against which something can be judged — an exemplar example of a thing
Pareto Principle
Experimental finding
Economics
Another term for the 80/20 Rule
path dependent
Math
Computer Science
Pavlovian response
Experimental finding
Science
pax Romana
Legal precedent
History
pearls before swine
Metaphor
Culture
The sense of wasting one's efforts for people who don't really appreciate them.
P/E Ratio
Method
Economics
Price to earnings ratio: standard measure of relative stock performance
permutations
Math
Computer Science
Peter Principle
Theory
Systems Theory
Theory that individuals within corporate and other organizational hierarchies will rise to the highest level at which they become incompetent in their job duties.
phase shift
Scientific Law
Science
The ability of matter to change phases, most famously water from liquid to ice to vapor and back again.
philosopher kings
Ancient Wisdom
Philosopher's Stone
Unsolved Mystery
phonemes
Experimental finding
plant a seed
Metaphor
Platonic forms
Model
Platonicity
Philosophy
adherence to crisp abstract theory & forms that blind us to the mess of actual reality
Plato's Cave
Model
Philosophy
Allegory in Plato's Republic about a cave dweller whose only picture of reality is the shadow on the cave wall thrown by the fire.
pluralism
Government
point of no return
Metaphor
Culture
polling
Method
Statistics
Pollyanna Principle
Model
Psychology
The tendency for people to remember pleasant events more accurately than unpleasant ones.
populism
Government
positron
Scientific Law
Physics
an antimatter electron
Potemkin Village Effect
Model
Systems Theory
Tendency of systems to create the appearance of functioning normally — to appease the operators who wish it so — even when they are not.
precision
Math
present value
Economics
The expected current value of an income stream.
price ceiling
Economics
price floor
Economics
prima facie
principle of indifference
Statistics
In probability, when there is no basis to choose some outcomes as more likely than others, they are given equal weight (1/2 chance of a particular side of a coin, 1/52 to get a particular card from a deck, etc.).
Prisoner's Dilemma
Thought Experiment
Math
private equity (PE)
Method
Economics
probability
Math
probability distribution
Math
Statistics
Procrustean bed
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
Synonymous with ruthlessly enforcing conformity, the phrase comes from a Greek tale of extreme "form fitting" on the part of Poseidon's son Procrustes, a robber who is said to have attacked victims by cutting off men's legs or stretching them on racks accordingly to fit an iron bed size.
profit
Legal precedent
Economics
propaganda
Method
Social psychology
originally, a way to "propagate" any idea; used by both sides in WWI, it thereafter took on a sinister connotation when American & British citizens felt hoodwinked by their govt's use of it
proper frame
Physics
in physics, the frame of reference that accelerates with you and determines your age
proportionality
Model
Math
prospect theory
Psychology
proximate cause
Logic
proxy war
Term
Politics
pseudoscience
Method
Culture
PTSD
Psychology
punctuated equilibrium
Model
Science
putting legs on a snake
Metaphor
Pygmalian Effect
Social psychology
Pyrrhic victory
Metaphor
History
A victory in which the costs of winning far outweigh the rewards.
quantum computing
Method
Computer Science
quantum entanglement
Theory
Physics
quantum physics
Science
qubit
Science
quid pro quo
Legal precedent
Law
quota
r > q
Model
Economics
Thomas Piketty's elegant demonstration of the rise of inequality
random walks
Math
range
Statistics
In a set of numbers, the difference between the highest value and the lowest value in the data set.
rara avis
Ancient Wisdom
Culture
"Rare bird" in Latin; similar to an outlier. Someone who stands out.
rate of return
Economics
Reagonomics
Economics
realism
Philosophy
reality testing
Model
Psychology
Discerning the difference between inner and outer, and seeing events as they really are, and not just what we want them to be.
received wisdom
Ancient Wisdom
Religion
recursion
Method
Math
red shift
Scientific Law
Science
reductio ad absurdo
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
Collapsing things too far, in a way that destroys real significance.
reductio ad finem
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
To analyze to the end — break the concept down into its conponent parts.
redundancy
Method
Systems Theory
Having multiple pathways within a system to accomplish the same task or achieve the same objective.
reference frame
Physics
A frame that does not accelerate; also known as a Lorentz frame.
regnat populus
regression analysis
Method
Statistics
reincarnation
Unsolved Mystery
Religion
reinforcing loop
Systems theory
relativity
Theory
Physics
Einstein's central insight that the experience or perceived passage of time depends greatly on the conditions of the observer, particularly with respect to velocity and gravity
resilience
Model
Systems Theory
Ability to bounce back into shape after having been pressed or stretched; elasticity. The ability to recover quickly.
respice finem
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
"Consider that you will die" — i.e. live life as you would in order to be proud of it by the time it's over.
res publica
Ancient Wisdom
Government
pertaining to the state
retrodiction
revenue
Economics
ripple effect
Experimental finding
Science
risk
Legal precedent
Economics
risk-weighted assets (RWAs)
Economics
root cause
Philosophy
Rosetta Stone
Experimental finding
History
Metaphorically, a key to unlocking the secrets of a given thing.
rounding
Method
Math
rounding error
Math
rule of law
Legal precedent
Philosophy
run on the bank
sampling
Method
Statistics
samsara
Religion
scarcity
Economics
Schelling's Tipping Model
Schrödinger's Cat
Theory
Physics
search intent
Term
Media
second-order thinking
selection bias
Experimental finding
Psychology
self-governance
Philosophy
set theory
Math
ship of Theseus
Ancient Wisdom
Metaphor
SIFI
Economics
systemically important financial institution; post-2008 financial crisis designation for banks deemed "too big to fail" (currently, firms holding more than $50b in assets)
sigma
Statistics
standard deviation, named for the Greek letter denoting the statistical term
signal path
Physics
significant figures
Math
aka "sig figs"
simulation
Philosophy
sine
Math
Physics
sine wave
Math
Physics
Single point of failure (SPoF)
Term
Computer Science
A part of a system that, when it fails, brings down the entire rest of the system or stops it from working properly
singularity
Theory
Science
A black hole.
SIR model
Model
Science
contagious disease modelling based on possible patient states (susceptible, infected, recovered)
site navigation
Method
Computer Science
six degrees of separation
Experimental finding
Psychology
six sigma
Method
Strategy
Motorola-originated concept of ensuring quality control to a very fine point, by ensuring that parts or other production outputs are manufactured to be within a certain quality range up to 6 times the standard deviation.
situational preparedness
Method
Strategy
skew
Math
Statistics
skin in the game
Ancient Wisdom
Economics
When someone has a stake in the outcome, they are more likely to keep their word in assist its fruition.
slope of a line
Math
Statistics
social contract
Legal precedent
Philosophy
Profoundly impactful document in political philosophy from Jean Jacques Rousseau in 18th c. France, refuting the rights of monarchs to rule the people
Socratic method
Method
Philosophy
Technique of instruction or conversation where the teacher or moderator proceeds by asking the student or pupil a serious of questions, enticing her or him to come up with their own answers to the issues related to the subject at hand.
solipsism
sorting
Math
special relativity
Scientific Law
Science
speech act theory
Theory
Philosophy
British philosopher J.L.Austin's concept that all uses of speech carry a performative aspect.
speed of light (c)
Scientific Law
Science
approx. 300 million meters per second
spread
Statistics
squaring the circle
Unsolved Mystery
A notorious philosophical problem first posed by Plato, the phrase has come to be used to allude to the grandiosity and infeasibility of someone's plans.
standard deviation
Math
Statistics
standing waves
Term
stare decisis
Legal precedent
Law
"It has been decided" — terminology used by a judge or court to indicate that the matter before them has already been decided by a previous ruling.
state of nature
Thought Experiment
Philosophy
status quo
Term
Culture
The way things currently are.
stochastic terrorism
Term
Social psychology
stocks and flows
Model
Systems Theory
Stoicism
Ancient Wisdom
Philosophy
Streisand Effect
Metaphor
Social psychology
When the act of attempting to hide information only makes it more prominently spread, especially via the Internet.
strict father morality
George Lakoff's terminology to describe the conservative worldview.
strict liability
Law
Crimes which have no mens rea requirement, such as rear-ending of another vehicle (where it is always the rear-enders' fault no matter what the circumstances.
subsidy
Economics
success to the successful
Systems theory
A reinforcing loop within complex system — especially economies — wherein the spoils of victory include the means to alter the rules of the game further in the favor of the previous winners.
summum malum
Ancient Wisdom
Politics
ultimate evil — some posit cruelty as this ultimate evil
supply and demand
Model
Economics
supply chain
Term
Economics
sword of Damocles
Ancient Wisdom
Metaphor
symmetric encryption
Term
tabula rasa
Ancient Wisdom
Metaphor
Blank slate
tachyon
Experimental finding
Science
hypothetical particle that travels faster than the speed of light
tangent
Method
Math
tariff
Legal precedent
Economics
tempus edax rerum
Ancient Wisdom
Arts
"Time devours everything." — Ovid
tempus fugit
Ancient Wisdom
Time flies
tempus neminem manet
Ancient Wisdom
time waits for no man
Third Story
Thought Experiment
Philosophy
the story an impartial third-party observer might tell; a version of events any unbiased person could agree on
Thucydides Trap
tilting at windmills
Metaphor
Arts
A reference to the novel Don Quixote, denoting the ongoing pursuit of useless attacks against an implacable enemy. Ineffectual activity undertaken strenuously and loudly.
time dilation
Thought Experiment
Science
time series data
Method
Statistics
A collection of measurements taken over time that create a graph when plotted.
time value of money
Theory
Economics
tipping point
Model
Systems Theory
Tit-for-Tat
Method
Strategy
too many cooks in the kitchen
Metaphor
Culture
A metaphor connoting that too many people are currently involved in the decision-making process.
touchstone
Metaphor
Myth/Metaphor
A black stone once used to judge the purity of gold or silver — now signifying a standard against which something should be judged.
Tower of Babel
Metaphor
Religion
A tale in the book of Genesis in the Bible that purports to explain the origins of different languages, via narrative about God confounding the speech of humans trying to build a tower to reach Him.
trade-offs
Model
Economics
tragedy of the commons
Experimental finding
Economics
An economic term for a situation in which unfettered access to a resource can lead to resource depletion through uncoordinated behavior -- a classic example is overfishing. A commonly-pooled (aka public) resource is overconsumed, but underinvested in.
transitivity
Term
Math
trickle down economics
Method
Economics
Right-wing economics, also known as Reaganomics, supply side economics, fiscal conservatism, tax cut policy, and austerity.
trolly problem
Thought Experiment
Philosophy
turtles all the way down
Theory
Philosophy
twin paradox
Thought Experiment
Science
tyranny of choice
Experimental finding
Systems Theory
The paradoxical effect that having too many options to choose from actually decreases the likelihoof of being able to reach a decision at all.
Unicode
Term
Computers
union
Term
Math
In set theory, a union of sets is a set which consists of all the members of all the sets.
universal law
Philosophy
Philosophy
usury
Term
Economics
The act of charging interest on borrowed money; for thousands of years there have been religous proscriptions against lending money with interest in various societies.
utility
Theory
Philosophy
variance
Math
Statistics
The amount of variation within a data set.
Veil of Ignorance
Model
Philosophy
Philosopher John Rawls' model for making better ethical decisions, in which the decider chooses a course of action based on the predicate that s/he will not know which of the groups or persons affected by the decision they personally would be. This method creates natural incentives to find the fairest outcome for all groups, since the decider doesn't know which group they will "end up in" on the other side of the decision.
Venn Diagram
Model
Math
via negativa
Method
Philosophy
An indirect description of a thing by describing what that thing is not.
Volcker rule
Legal precedent
Economics
Financial rule preventing consumer lending banks from speculative trading in securities for their own profit.
vulnerability
Experimental finding
Psychology
wave function
Scientific Law
Science
wave-particle duality
Experimental finding
Science
wheel of life
Symbol
Religion
when life gives you lemons
Metaphor
Philosophy
You try to make lemonade! Another way of saying, "let's try and make the best of this unfortunate situation."
winner-take-all market
Economics
wisdom of crowds
Model
Social psychology
Derived from the Diversity Prediction Theorem: the average prediction of a group of individuals will be more accurate than the prediction of one average member.
wolves and sheep
Metaphor
Philosophy
wormhole
Theory
Physics
A sort of tunnel formed on the surface of a black hole that may connect two different regions of space
Who were the early conservatives? They emerged out of the group of former fascists and Nazi sympathizers in the US.
1930s opposition to Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal
2 main right-wing factions then:
libertarians — right-wing economics faction led by Milton Friedman, Ludwig von Mises, & Friedrich Hayek. Favors dramatically cutting taxes (aka trickle down economics), reducing social spending, while increasing the military budget dramatically — a math that does not add up, numerically or historically speaking.
The ascension of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States gave permission to all the closet fascists practicing ketman as conservatives to come right on out and let their freak bigotry flags fly.
All the little white power sleeper cells and now networked anti-government militia groups were let off the chain and invited to take a swing at our national sovereignty and see if they could steal the American government for him. Thanks to the strength and integrity of numerous civil servants and others they did not succeed — however, the festering mass of fascism isn’t going anywhere much just yet.
It’s also no accident this whole Twitter takeover drama is happening just before the mid-terms. The right-wing needs to inject some juice into the splintering base, some of whom are wavering as the actual (intentionally) obscured vision of the GOP leaks out (i.e. destroy government altogether).
Conspiracy theories are not new. Covid-related conspiracies may be new, but conspiracy theories about pandemics and contagious diseases have been around for centuries. Anti-vaccination hysteria goes back decades. The QAnon conspiracy theory may be new (or maybe not really?!), but conspiracy theories themselves are a tale(s) as old as time — or at least time as we know it, from the start of recorded history.
What is a conspiracy theory?
Conspiracy theories are simple explanations for complex phenomena, that often involve a secret group (often some type of global cabal) who are pulling the strings of world events behind the scenes. There is most commonly little to no credible evidence supporting the beliefs of the conspiracy theory, instead relying on superstition, speculation, coincidence, or simple rumor to back up their claims.
We are fundamentally wired to be storytellers. It’s intuitive why this ability might be hard-coded into our brains, as it so clearly relates to survival, self-preservation, and our ability to navigate and succeed in a complex world. We need to be able to understand cause and effect in an environment of many rapidly shifting variables, and storytelling is a framework for weaving coherent narratives that reduce our anxiety about the great uncertainties in the environment around us.
Conspiracy theories tap into psychological needs
Conspiratorial thinking is far more common than we think, and can ebb and flow in populations based on prevailing conditions. Our ability to see patterns in randomness and dissemble stories on the spot, along with numerous other cognitive and psychological biases, make us vulnerable to belief in conspiracy theories.
