Is there a word or concept like "derationalization"? Where a process/practice/ritual/ceremony once had a meaningful rationale that has since been forgotten and no longer applies and is now sustained by random other bullshit rationalizations or sheer inertia?
cc:
Conversation
I think the general term is “mania” — most commonly associated with collective financial irrationalities, e.g. amazon.com/Manias-Panics-
1
1
Hmm that seems off, manias are chaotic, I'm thinking of the ordered end of that spectrum
I don’t know what empirical case you’re considering, but things are looking pretty chaotic these days!
1
Mostly small-scale domestic or corporate context steady-state behaviors, not mass crowd transient spike phenomena. Unpleasant rituals that continue though nobody gets anything out of them anymore for example.
3
Show replies

