ACX
Lifeboat Games And Backscratchers Clubs
Scott Alexander uses thought experiments to explore how people form coalitions and support networks, relating these to real-world social and political dynamics.
21 min read 3,120 words
A thread through the archive
social dynamics
Essays tagged “social dynamics”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on social dynamics
6 essaysACX
A Cyclic Theory Of Subcultures
Scott proposes a four-phase cyclic theory of subculture evolution, explaining their rise and fall without requiring sociopathic takeovers.
15 min read 2,229 words
ACX
Richard Nixon Vs. Cool
Scott Alexander explores the dynamics of cool vs. uncool groups, relating it to Richard Nixon's college strategy of uniting outsiders against elites.
5 min read 689 words
SSC
There Are Rules Here
Scott explores why conservative religious movements thrive while liberal ones decline, suggesting that strict rules and commitments strengthen communities, and considers this in the context of atheist religion-substitutes.
11 min read 1,610 words
SSC
We Are All MsScribe
Scott Alexander compares the MsScribe Harry Potter fandom drama to his experiences in online micronations, arguing that such behavior reflects universal human social dynamics.
14 min read 2,059 words
SSC
Things I Learned By Spending Five Thousand Years In An Alternate Universe
Scott Alexander reflects on 13 years of participating in Micras, a complex geopolitical role-playing game, discussing its impact on his life and the lessons learned about leadership and human behavior.
18 min read 2,651 words