Action vs. Reaction

I have given much thought to the idea of the rational actor. While an action stands on its own as a whole, complete and deliberate set of motions, a reaction stems directly from circumstances created outside of your control. This is where it intersects with manipulation. It would be fair to say that one who does not react makes himself less of a target for manipulation. Strings pull puppets.

A recent conversation with a friend gave rise to this question: when is one behaving rationally, and when is one being manipulated to react ‘rationally’ – in such a way so as to elicit the exact behavior desired by those who seek your manipulation?

Class and Status in the 21st Century

Society has undergone a process of democratization. Whereas once one’s parents’ occupation, and one’s own, as well as corresponding tastes, speech, dress and mannerisms could designate one as ‘blue collar’, ‘middle class’ or ‘upper-middle’, the economy has undergone such a restructuring that it’s longer possible to reliably estimate a person’s background and lifestyle having only observed one or two of these markers.

Take for example, the working class.

STIHIE: So this is how it ends

Central to the theme of Treason and Treachery is the social and cultural decline of the West. Whilst there remains an elite that continues to preserve a form of high culture, the middle and lower classes are nearing the end of their trajectory from the folk roots of pop in the 50’s to complete cultural annihilation.

I recently stumbled upon the STIHIE series, specifically ‘Booty Wave’ which left me in stitches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmCjJ0VBjjU