Conformity is about perceptions too: it doesn’t just stop you from cutting in line, it makes you feel that cutting in line is inappropriate. Isn’t that a central example of what “social reality” is about?
People seem to be conflating “social reality” with “social constructs.” To me these are very different phenomena—the appropriate way to form a line would be a social construct, since we’ve constructed a real phenomenon, line forming, out of a social consensus. It doesn’t really matter whether you perceive it as an arbitrary convention or an objective truth, so long as you play along with the game. Social reality, on the other hand, is when your brain filters out anything that would be socially irrelevant or inconvenient to notice before it even reaches conscious awareness, like how most people filter out the details of how a bicycle works. I’m not sure if other people use these terms the same way I do, but it seems like these are both common and very different phenomena, so it would be nice to have distinct terms for them.
It’s an example, but I don’t think it’s inclusive.
For example, in highly contrarian circles, social reality may even be anti-conformity (which is maybe a kind of conformity, but if someone just hears social reality described as “conformity” that won’t be an obvious interpretation)
Social reality also includes things like how status-is-assigned and what behaviors are rewarded and punished, and other properties.
Conformity doesn’t quite cover the nuances here. (I don’t think the answers so far cover the breadth of what I meant. I think if Benquo expanded his entry it’ll end up explaining some of the nuts and bolts here)
I think this link is currently the best explanation that exists online:
I think “conformity” is a better word because it describes behavior, not some special kind of reality (wha?)
But “conformity” is about actions, while “social reality” is about perceptions. Maybe “social umwelt” would make more sense, though.
Conformity is about perceptions too: it doesn’t just stop you from cutting in line, it makes you feel that cutting in line is inappropriate. Isn’t that a central example of what “social reality” is about?
People seem to be conflating “social reality” with “social constructs.” To me these are very different phenomena—the appropriate way to form a line would be a social construct, since we’ve constructed a real phenomenon, line forming, out of a social consensus. It doesn’t really matter whether you perceive it as an arbitrary convention or an objective truth, so long as you play along with the game. Social reality, on the other hand, is when your brain filters out anything that would be socially irrelevant or inconvenient to notice before it even reaches conscious awareness, like how most people filter out the details of how a bicycle works. I’m not sure if other people use these terms the same way I do, but it seems like these are both common and very different phenomena, so it would be nice to have distinct terms for them.
Why call it “social reality”? If you lived alone on an island, you could be just as bad at drawing bikes.
If you lived without having a bike, sure. I don’t think you could get away with that level of ignorance if you had to build or repair a bike yourself.
It’s an example, but I don’t think it’s inclusive.
For example, in highly contrarian circles, social reality may even be anti-conformity (which is maybe a kind of conformity, but if someone just hears social reality described as “conformity” that won’t be an obvious interpretation)
Social reality also includes things like how status-is-assigned and what behaviors are rewarded and punished, and other properties.
Conformity doesn’t quite cover the nuances here. (I don’t think the answers so far cover the breadth of what I meant. I think if Benquo expanded his entry it’ll end up explaining some of the nuts and bolts here)
I think this link is currently the best explanation that exists online:
https://sinceriously.fyi/social-reality/