Communities of Not
12 hours ago
- Communities based on abstinence from something often develop an identity from opposition, which can lead to negative outcomes beyond criticism.
- The refusal of a thing (e.g., children, cars, LLMs) often becomes the community's main focus, turning into policing and hatred toward those who deviate.
- Betrayal is felt when a community member makes a personal choice contrary to the group's stance, leading to collective shaming and harassment.
- Avoiding attention isn't the solution because the rejected things (e.g., cars, LLMs) affect everyone regardless of personal choice.
- Resisting something can be legitimate, but it should not justify mob behavior or harassment of others.
- Being part of a negativity-focused group can easily lead to collective harassment; personal insecurities may drive this dynamic.
- Encouragement to slow down, de-escalate, resist catastrophic readings, and remain open to new things is key.
- The recent mob against rsync is cited as an LLM-related example of personal choices being interpreted as betrayal.