Hidden taboos online can foster dangerous, radicalized communities away from mainstream moderation. Embracing the Shadow
Similarly, the taboo against interracial relationships, once enforced by law and violence, generated a specific kind of dangerous heat. The transgression was real, but the heat often attracted thrill-seekers rather than genuine partners, leading to exploitative dynamics. It is a force, like electricity. It can light a room or electrocute a person. The wisdom lies in understanding the difference. taboo heat taboo
When you are told you cannot have something, your brain’s mechanism fires. This is the "ironic process theory" made famous by psychologist Daniel Wegner. Try not to think of a white bear. You will obsess over the white bear. Try not to want your best friend’s spouse. You will dream of them. It is a force, like electricity
Psychological reactance suggests that when humans are told they cannot have something, they immediately want it more. Prohibition creates a scarcity of experience, which inflates its perceived value. The more a topic is locked away, the more the key seems like a treasure. When you are told you cannot have something,