Sacrifice and Stigma Theory

Good theories are like good chai — strong, simple, and best shared. Sacrifice and Stigma Theory qualifies.

Like all theories, it explains most cases and none perfectly. Use it as a lantern, not as a cage. A lantern shows the path; a cage only shows itself.

The idea is simple, and like most simple ideas it is easy to nod at and hard to use. The nod is free. The use costs attention, every day, in small change.

Every colony has a notice board and a gossip channel. The notice board informs; the channel decides. Wise residents read the first and audit the second.

Society is a long conversation; the only question is whether you are listening or merely waiting to speak. One page cannot change a life. But one recognised pattern can change a Tuesday, and lives are made of Tuesdays.