Bypasses Definition


Bypasses: Rather than being subtle and difficult to describe, the effects of Narrativism are very pronounced and, once identified, fairly easy to describe. This ultimately comes down to the underlying cause of Narrativism: the specific way that it impacts the brain is what causes Narrativism to be such a pronounced self-replicating behavior pattern. Narrativism is the result of the brain being very "lazy" and evaluating the accuracy of information by using a simplified binary formula instead of the normal, energy-intensive critical evaluation process. As a result of using this simplified process, the brain begins to consistently mis-evaluate the world and perceive threats and chaos where none actually exist. The impact on behaviors (both individual and collective) this constant stress causes is in large part what makes Narrativist behavior so distinct.

The brain in a normal person has learned to evaluate new information before either accepting or rejecting it. This process of evaluation consumes electrical energy. The three bypasses represent areas of the human psyche where the brain can be influenced to "bypass" this expensive process of critical thought and simply accept or reject the new information based on its adherence to a simple formula. The brain then favors processing information in this way over time because, from the brain's perspective, it is simply a more energy-efficient way to accomplish a task. (The brain is being "lazy".)

Keep in mind that each of these bypasses functions as a way to replace energy-intensive critical analysis with a simple binary question and accepting/rejecting information based on that. Once a brain has been conditioned to use bypasses, it becomes more energy efficient by switching from evaluating each piece of information on its own merit to evaluating whether or not the information adheres to the proper format. If the information adheres to the format, it is accepted; if not, it is rejected. There is no inherent political bias in these, but rather the political bias of people can be manipulated (or created out of whole cloth) using these bypasses. A bypass will always eliminate the more complicated or nuanced response to a problem, so by framing a topic such that your opponent's ideas seem complicated or dangerous while your ideas seem straightforwards or logical, you can manipulate the way a bypass-reliant brain will perceive the topic.


  • Bypass of Maximum force: Narrativists' solutions to every problem is to hit it with as much force as possible. There is no concept of a proportionate response, just throw everything we have at it, right now! Rather than invest energy in evaluating a proportional response, the Bypass of Maximum Force simply states that the solution is always Maximum Force. How do we stop ISIS? Glass the Middle East, of course! Conversely, using anything less than the maximum force is considered a sign of weakness, or a signal for The Enemy to attack.

  • Bypass of Perfect Safety: Note: not the "Bypass of Safety", but the "Bypass of Perfect Safety". You must not be merely safe or reasonably safe, you must be made immune to every threat possible. No matter how small, no matter how remote, no matter how tiny or fictional a threat, if you convince a Narrativist that there is a threat, then they will shut down all nuanced thinking with this bypass. An example of using this bypass is the infamous "Bowl of Skittles" meme about Syrian refugees. The implication of the meme is that because of the tiny chance that a Syrian refugee might pose a threat, all Syrian refugees must be rejected. The Bowl of Skittles meme uses the Bypass of Perfect Safety by amplifying the incredibly remote chance of a Syrian refugee killing you personally into a seeming very real source of mortal danger to the viewer of said meme. The threat is personalized by inviting the viewer to contemplate the act of eating from a bowl of food that has had several small portions poisoned.

  • Bypass of Purity: Probably the most selectively applied bypass, the Bypass of Purity is used to to bypass critical thought in matters that pertain to the Narrative, typically by implying that something is impure in some way. By implying that something is either impure or tainted-by-association in some manner, events or facts that generate Narrative dysphoria can be readily dismissed. The simplest example would be showing a Narrativist an article on CNN that disproves part of their Narrative. (Either IN or ON.) The Narrativist responds by rejecting the entire article wholesale because it comes from a tainted source. The Bypass of Purity is often involved in the creation of the (frequently ex post facto) justification for running a compaction cycle as well, and the implication that a person who has just been compacted out of the group was somehow impure (e.g. connected in some vague way with The Enemy), then much of the collective guilt around the event can be superficially alleviated, while at the same time the Inner Narrative becomes more developed. I/my group have become important enough that The Enemy is sending agents to spy on us now.

To summarize: exposure to media that uses bypass logic can train the brain to use bypass logic as well. Adopting bypass thinking creates stresses that result in the creation of an Inner Narrative, and if sufficient Narrative Dysphora is experienced, compaction cycles will result. Compaction cycles drive the Inner Narrative to evolve into a more radicalized form, which in turn increases the potential to experience Narrative dysphoria (by placing a greater gap between their expectations and reality), driving further compaction cycles. The more compaction cycles a Narrativist goes through, the more simplified their thinking becomes (through the increasing adoption of bypass logic), the more the Inner Narrative comes to dominate their lives, the more they perceive a looming threat from an increasingly vile Enemy, and the more prone to violent behavior they become as a result

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