That concept of flailing in this context seems very interesting, and it makes me wonder about some things.
In particular, I find it particularly helpful to me, because it explains how I often feel very anxious about some things when there are other people around who will share the burden of it with me, in a way that makes me practically unable to get anything done, while the same problems seem a lot simpler and less stressful when I am alone. But I don’t know if people actually feel like this in ordinary situations, like I do, or if it is because I have an overprotective family and exceedingly kind friends who spoil me :)
Assuming it is actually quite common, we could then say that a lot of problems are best solved by one person alone. And yet, it also makes much sense to say that problems are best solved by bringing together many different sources of insights and sources of information, and — for more obviously political problems — a lot of competing interests as well. In short, a lot of people who should be brought together.
So, there is, first, probably something to say about how flailing is similar to political signaling. Also, it would be interesting to expand on that concept of flailing to think about how and when we solve problems individually vs. in groups, and what kinds of groups: Do we flail more with people we are close to, making it easier to solve problems sensibly when discussing them with strangers? Will a culturally homogeneous group making a decision be subject to a lot of flailing or not?, etc., etc. Basically, I am trying to think about how flailing can be seen as another way to describe at least some forms of political signaling in political decision-making, and it looks like an interesting way of describing it. But it also looks like I am not able to think clearly about it myself for the moment, which is an interesting opportunity to post a comment and see if anyone has interesting takes on these kinds of things :)
That concept of flailing in this context seems very interesting, and it makes me wonder about some things.
In particular, I find it particularly helpful to me, because it explains how I often feel very anxious about some things when there are other people around who will share the burden of it with me, in a way that makes me practically unable to get anything done, while the same problems seem a lot simpler and less stressful when I am alone. But I don’t know if people actually feel like this in ordinary situations, like I do, or if it is because I have an overprotective family and exceedingly kind friends who spoil me :)
Assuming it is actually quite common, we could then say that a lot of problems are best solved by one person alone. And yet, it also makes much sense to say that problems are best solved by bringing together many different sources of insights and sources of information, and — for more obviously political problems — a lot of competing interests as well. In short, a lot of people who should be brought together.
So, there is, first, probably something to say about how flailing is similar to political signaling. Also, it would be interesting to expand on that concept of flailing to think about how and when we solve problems individually vs. in groups, and what kinds of groups: Do we flail more with people we are close to, making it easier to solve problems sensibly when discussing them with strangers? Will a culturally homogeneous group making a decision be subject to a lot of flailing or not?, etc., etc. Basically, I am trying to think about how flailing can be seen as another way to describe at least some forms of political signaling in political decision-making, and it looks like an interesting way of describing it. But it also looks like I am not able to think clearly about it myself for the moment, which is an interesting opportunity to post a comment and see if anyone has interesting takes on these kinds of things :)