A familiar phenomenon, but to my mind still a little spooky. Lots of examples in human life too, such as spontaneously walking in step with someone.
Meetings can be like this. Sometimes it only takes a few people who refuse to budge from established procedures to create almost palpable pressure to drop back into line with what is familiar to everyone round the table.
5 comments:
Presumably that's an evolutionary thing. We're here because our ancestors played safe and survived. I'm not sure whether the innovators made the wrong decisions and eventually lost their lives, or whether the others on the stone-age committee beat them to death.
What is the evolutionary advantage of every woman in a group having simultaneous periods?
Why do thousands of cicadas all chirrup in sync?
Evolutionary advantage of synchronous periods ? so all the men know when to hide
Margaret Thatcher was (incorrectly) criticised for saying that there was no such thing as 'society' only lots of individuals.
"They are casting their problems at society. And, you know, there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look after themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then, also, to look after our neighbours."
She was right. "Society" is a label made to represent a large number of people who mostly behave in similar ways and mostly have similar beliefs. Nevertheless Lefties believe that "Society" exists and everybody would behave appropriately if only people all believed the same things, behaved the same way, and had the best Leaders (cough). Righties believe that people are different. Many individuals will behave well, some will need to be dealt with.
So, because some individuals refuse to comply with "Society" the Lefties try and build social synchronisation by the march through the Institutions and only permitting WokeThink. It will end in tears unless individuals repeatedly affirm "There's no such thing as Society".
Sam - yes it feels like an evolutionary thing. We need the social cohesion so we need to agree or at least agree to follow a leader. Those stone-age committees would have been interesting. Item 1. Beat innovator to death. Item 2. Date of next meeting.
Doonhamer - maybe when every woman in a group has simultaneous periods it shows up those who are not able to bear children.
MrMC - good point. Or they know when to go out hunting all day.
DJ - Thomas Sowell describes the difference as constrained and unconstrained political thinking. The unconstrained outlook sees societies as something to be perfected. The constrained outlook accepts that there are always trade-offs and accepting the trade-offs gives us a less than perfect, but the best available outcome.
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