purity spiral
Virtue competition collapse
A purity spiral is a social dynamic in which members of a group compete to demonstrate ideological commitment, with standards escalating until moderate positions become unacceptable.
Each round of enforcement raises the bar, and yesterday's orthodox believer becomes today's heretic.
The term describes how movements can consume their own members through ever-intensifying demands for conformity: The online community entered a purity spiral where anyone who questioned the latest position was denounced.
- infightingRivalry within one organization
- circular firing squadMutual destruction among allies
- witch-huntPersecution of supposed subversives
- call-out culturePublic shaming of perceived offenders
- echo chamberSelf-reinforcing information environment
escalation · conformity · ostracism · dogmatism · stringency · exclusion · groupthink · zealotry · loyalty oath · sanctimony · sectarianism · factionalism · paranoia · insularity · shame · burnout · doctrinaire · intensification
purity spiralcoalition-building
Forming multi-party alliances
pragmatism · compromise · incrementalism · realpolitik · ecumenism
purity spiralopen door policy
Unrestricted visitor welcome stance
unconditional acceptance · amnesty · reconciliation · lowering the bar · mass movement
purity spiralloyal opposition
Principled dissent within system
agreeing to disagree · free inquiry · open debate · heterodoxy
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