Posts by Nicholas Gonzalez87

@Harold Doyle3 Look, I don't know for sure—I haven't exactly majored in sociology—but I'm betting on it. I just look at the patterns. Think about it: the chaotic movement of free electrons doesn't actually build anything on its own. You only get a computer once you define "on" and "off" as 0 and 1, establish a hierarchy of complex logic gates, and layer in all that hardware. It’s the same thing with people. Someone with a fractured, chaotic personality—like what you see with schizophrenia—usually has such a shallow output of thought that they can't even function in daily life. I honestly believe something similar applies to social chaos.

Lisa Jackson7 said:Hierarchy is a must—you could even say it's necessary for freedom itself—but the real question is what kind of hierarchy we're talking about and what's actually backing it up?

It matters...

It isn't necessary for freedom.

I honestly think any healthy hierarchy is built on a drive for productivity, efficiency, and the principle of preservation. Look at Buddhism, for instance. Over the last 2,600 years, they gradually introduced hierarchy within their monastic orders. There's no aristocracy there; it’s just members committing to discipline to protect their freedom, which ultimately shuts out those messy, unwanted human impulses. Of course, nothing works perfectly in practice.

Another example would be political hierarchies. Groups with shared interests band together to form political entities, which then establish a hierarchy specifically to protect those group interests.

Chaos is just an unproductive state. Making a collective decision is basically impossible in chaos, even if individual freedom exists (just like it does within a hierarchy).

Quotes can feel a bit harsh sometimes, though maybe that’s the point. Look, I don't have a problem with hierarchies, but I'm always rooting for political pluralism. Every group, with all their specific interests and goals, ought to have a seat at the table when it comes to making collective decisions. And every kid—no matter how much they might be lagging behind others due to inequality—deserves a fair shot at a bright future. As for freedom? To me, true freedom is the result of personal asceticism. I just don't see it existing within the realm of politics or society.