Egalitarianism
#Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism has proven a key defining element of human nature and evolution over the past two million years. Only during a relatively tiny slice of that time, under civilization, have human beings accepted inequality. Following its collapse, people in the Fifth World have returned to the normal human state of living in egalitarian societies.
#Consensus
See Consensus
Families in the Fifth World almost universally use consensus to reach decisions. Generally, this means that each member can
- support a motion,
- oppose a motion, or
- abstain.
Few families require everyone to support a motion to do it, but they do require that at least no one oppose it. The cajoling and discussion that this process requires can take a very long time, but it generally results in better decisions than an individual leader could make.
Not everyone has the same influence on these decisions, of course, and this does create some informal power dynamics. However, these dynamics also shift frequently as discussion moves from one topic to the next. The people most respected on the question of where to find boar may differ markedly from the people most respected on the question of where to find water. No one can climb to the top of every possible ladder. Most of the time, everyone will have a moment as the most respected person in the family, and plenty of time yielding to the advice of others. Usually elders have earned more respect than others, but even the youngest child can sway a family's decision with a good argument.
#Maintaining Equality
Despite its ubiquity, humans have always had to put work into maintaining egalitarianism. It does not simply occur on its own. They use leveling mechanisms like gossip or ridicule to undermine individuals who try to gather power — often by mocking the very acts that would earn prestige, thus deeply complicating the path to power.
If an individual continues to accumulate power anyway, some of the family may confront him directly. Often his friends will approach him first, so as to avoid hurt feelings, but if that fails others may open defy him or call him out in front of everyone.
If even these efforts fail, families may consider ostracizing such a person rather than suffer living with him any longer. In the most extreme cases, they may even execute him.
[W]hen a young man kills much meat he comes to think of himself as a chief or a big man, and he thinks of the rest of us as his servants or inferiors. We can’t accept this. We refuse one who boasts, for someday his pride will make him kill somebody. So we always speak of his meat as worthless. This way we cool his heart and make him gentle.
Tomazo, a !Kung elder