A Cyclic Theory Of Subcultures

Published: Aug. 12, 2022, 10:20 p.m.

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https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/a-cyclic-theory-of-subcultures

David Chapman\\u2019s Geeks, MOPs, and Sociopaths In Subculture Evolution is rightfully a classic, but it doesn\\u2019t match my own experience. Either through good luck or poor observational skills, I\\u2019ve never seen a lot of sociopath takeovers. Instead, I\\u2019ve seen a gradual process of declining asabiyyah. Good people start out working together, then work together a little less, then turn on each other, all while staying good people and thinking they alone embody the true spirit of the movement.

I find Peter Turchin\\u2019s theories of civilizational cycles oddly helpful here, maybe moreso than for civilizations themselves. Riffing off his phase structure:

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