reel script (on-screen text)
[0-2s]
our collective energy is a currency.
[2-4s]
we are spending it on ghosts.
[4-7s]
shaming a ghost feels good. great for the ego. 100% failure rate.
[7-9s]
justice is the foundation. but outrage is not a strategy.
[9-11s]
there's a blueprint for effective focus.
the system of: face (面子)
[11-13s]
it offers two paths for our energy.
[13-18s]
“losing face”
focus:
action: ritual shaming
∴ energy drained.
current model (shaming; ”losing face”)
- focus = absolute truth, public accountability for the unchangeable past.
- action = direct confrontation, constant criticism of what is already done.
- result = the leader is forced into a defensive position, perpetually trying to save face from past critiques.
- outcome = collective energy is spent on blame. progress is stalled. it's a closed loop that drains social capital.
[18-23s]
“giving face”
focus:
action: creates opportunities for constructive action into forward momentum.
∴ energy redirected.
proposed model (”saving face”)
- focus = pragmatic outcomes of the changeable future
- action = "give face" to the office or the potential for future action, separating it from the individual's unchangeable past. this creates a path forward.
- result = the leader is incentivized to act constructively to gain new face.
- outcome = collective energy is invested in solutions. it creates forward momentum.
[23-26s]
the goal isn't to forget the past. it's to stop letting it bankrupt the future.
[26-29s]
where focus goes, energy flows. do we invest or waste it?
applying the framework:
- the dead dude (epstein)
- focusing on him = an extreme example of the inefficient model.
- he has zero capacity for future action.
- all energy spent here is a sunk cost. it cannot produce a future return. it is a black hole for social capital.
- mr. president Trump
- focusing on his unchangeable past > forces a defensive stance. every action becomes about saving face, not building the future.
- focusing on what he can change > "gives face" by offering a path to build new social capital through present action.
reel description (caption)
i learned about cynicism the hard way. my conclusion: it’s just the longer way back to the path.
our collective outrage often works the same way.. when we get stuck on the unchangeable past (or the elderly..), it feels like progress. it looks like a ritual. but it’s really a detour.
not saying we should forget. just a reminder: we can honor the lesson of the past without giving it a veto over the future.
the real question is about the ROI on our outrage..
ethics vs. efficacy. clarity > catharsis. 🙏🏼
#seeingstorm #systemsthinking #ethics #pragmatism #collectivefocus #socialcapital #cognitivearchitecture
Reel Description (Caption)
ethics are non-negotiable bedrock of a just society (i think we can all agree.)
but when accountability is directed at the past or the elderly, it ceases to be a tool for justice and becomes a performance. a ritual seen over and over again..
The Eastern concept of "face" (面子) provides a framework for this flow. Constantly focusing on the unchangeable past is a system of perpetual blame ("losing face")—it's a sunk cost that offers zero future return.
We get caught in a loop, spending our most potent currency—our collective moral energy—on an outcome that can no longer change.
i’m not making an argument for forgetting. It's about distinguishing between processing the past and being paralyzed by it. We can honor the lessons of what happened without giving them a veto over what happens next.
A more efficient system focuses on future potential. It creates opportunities for constructive action ("giving face"),
Ethics vs. Efficacy. Clarity > Catharsis.
#SystemsThinking #Ethics #Pragmatism #CollectiveFocus #SocialCapital #SocialCommentary #CognitiveArchitecture #ROI #seeingstorm