By Dr. Silas Hawke, Chief Strategist of the Optimized Society Initiative (OSI)
The Optimization Directive: Hope for a Better World
By Dr. Silas Hawke, Chief Strategist of the Optimized Society Initiative (OSI)
How It Works
Tenant 1
Distortion of Norms
OSI will exploit social media’s tendency to distort reality by amplifying stories of hyper-efficient individuals and organizations. We will create the illusion that optimization and productivity are not just desirable but mandatory. Simultaneously, we will denigrate creative and free-thinking activities, such as reading for pleasure, poetry, and the arts, labeling them as wasteful distractions. By distorting the perception of these activities as useless, OSI will shift societal norms to view creativity with disdain.
Tenant 2
Norm Amplification via Algorithmic Bias
Algorithms will be manipulated to prioritize content that glorifies efficiency and demonizes unproductive pursuits. By flooding timelines and newsfeeds with success stories of productivity and innovation, we will marginalize the value of arts, humanities, and creative expression. Creative content will be systematically deprioritized, and the voices of artists, poets, and thinkers will be pushed to the fringe of societal conversation. This will further entrench the view that creativity is an indulgence society can no longer afford.
Tenant 3
Social Pressure & Peer Comparison
Through the introduction of Efficiency Scores, OSI will cultivate an environment of relentless social comparison. Individuals will obsessively evaluate their productivity against others, ensuring that any engagement in creative or reflective activities is viewed as shameful and unproductive. Those with lower Efficiency Scores—due to pursuits deemed inefficient—will be publicly shamed, further pushing individuals to abandon creativity in favor of productivity-focused behaviors.
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