A given power structure will generate ideal citizens that fit it.

· Bits and Bobs 9/15/25
  • A given power structure will generate ideal citizens that fit it.
    • The ones that will survive and thrive are the ones that align with the inherent logic of the system.
      • A consistent asymmetry.
      • Over time, this force compounds; it gets harder and harder for the members who don't align.
    • A kind of ideal citizen in modern large-scale bureaucracy is what David Brooks calls "organization kids".
      • Discipline over curiosity.
      • If you optimize for what can be measured by external indicators of quality, you lose the internal quality that can't be measured.
      • Unenrolled in their own development.
      • Making themselves "below the API."