I've reached the point I assume everyone is lying to me except for people I personally know and trust. There's no benefit in telling the truth and all the benefit in manipulative lies.
When I was younger, I had no idea how many people - consciously or otherwise - view language entirely as transactional. They treat all communication as an exercise in extracting benefits from (or causing harm to) other people. There is almost no adherence to principle or truth or reality. It goes beyond mere rational self-interest and into the realm of pathologically dishonest existence.
When you don’t know this about the world, because you maybe grew up surrounded by honest communicators, then you make all kinds of mistakes on account of your projecting your own mode of thinking onto others. This is vaguely related to the concept of gullibility.
Probably the prevalence of such bug people has always been high. Maybe the primary purpose of religion was to suppress this broken segment of the population, for the betterment of mankind. Broadly enforcing cultural norms via religion also forces those bug people to adopt a different ethos (on a surface level) in order to survive. I dunno, I’m spitballing.
Broadly enforcing cultural norms via religion also forces those bug people to adopt a different ethos (on a surface level) in order to survive. I dunno, I’m spitballing.
It would also allow punishment by ostracization if word got out you weren't honest, people would charge you more for goods and services and demand pay upfront, and favours would never be granted. If it was an extremely bad case you would simply be exiled and have to fend for yourself. Being exiled in those days would mean you were a vagabond and those had an extremely tough time surviving as moving from your village was almost never done unless you married to someone from another village.
I've reached the point I assume everyone is lying to me except for people I personally know and trust. There's no benefit in telling the truth and all the benefit in manipulative lies.
When I was younger, I had no idea how many people - consciously or otherwise - view language entirely as transactional. They treat all communication as an exercise in extracting benefits from (or causing harm to) other people. There is almost no adherence to principle or truth or reality. It goes beyond mere rational self-interest and into the realm of pathologically dishonest existence.
When you don’t know this about the world, because you maybe grew up surrounded by honest communicators, then you make all kinds of mistakes on account of your projecting your own mode of thinking onto others. This is vaguely related to the concept of gullibility.
Probably the prevalence of such bug people has always been high. Maybe the primary purpose of religion was to suppress this broken segment of the population, for the betterment of mankind. Broadly enforcing cultural norms via religion also forces those bug people to adopt a different ethos (on a surface level) in order to survive. I dunno, I’m spitballing.
It would also allow punishment by ostracization if word got out you weren't honest, people would charge you more for goods and services and demand pay upfront, and favours would never be granted. If it was an extremely bad case you would simply be exiled and have to fend for yourself. Being exiled in those days would mean you were a vagabond and those had an extremely tough time surviving as moving from your village was almost never done unless you married to someone from another village.