When on the road, motorcyclists are known to wave at each other. It’s one of those informal norms that create and maintain a sense of fellowship among riders. Building that fellowship leads to a relatively cooperative culture; the consequence is on-road and off-road cooperation, not competition. This is quite the opposite of how motorcycle gangs operate. You do not typically wave at these outlaws because they have their own code and purpose. Their code enforces inward tribal identity, while others are outward-looking and inclusive. Outlaws prioritize hostile competition while others just seek coexistence.

Like how hand-waving reinforces a cooperative framework, the consequences of all cultural norms cascade across society. Such norms can also be more abstract — like building blocks of a social order. For example, the preference for obedience over individual responsibility is such an abstract norm. This will then determine what is considered just or acceptable within all formal and informal social spheres – becoming a part of the underlying genetic code of society.

Respect for seniority, class, and gender over merit is another such norm; they emphasize the rule of the collective over the merit of the individual. These are some of the characteristics of static hierarchies. In that sense, they resemble feudal or aristocratic systems. They tend to prioritize the rule of status over the impartial rule of law.

The other end of the spectrum would be individual responsibility over obedience and emphasis on perceived merit over everything else – these are the essential characteristics of dynamic hierarchies. So, hierarchy itself is inevitable; the only difference is the underlying norm. Like how the properties of a genome shape the nature of an organism, norms determine the qualities of the social order.

Norms that form the genetic code of a civilization get repeatedly applied in different political, social, and economic contexts to create higher-level structures. Legislative bodies and institutions will account for that code when framing laws of the land or even when designing bureaucracies. For example, paternalistic laws or institutions signal that obedience is considered a higher virtue than responsibility. These will be seen as oppressive in an individualistic world. At all levels, social order begins to exhibit these patterns derived from its genetic code.

Reality tends to be more complex because there are always conflicting norms and codes. In short, no society is absolutely static or dynamic; it’s just a matter of degree. But there are real implications for static and dynamic hierarchies. A changing world requires us to adapt, which is at odds with a purely static structure. But often these static structures can also embed implicit wisdom from the past. While purely dynamic hierarchies enable quick adaptation, without the inherited wisdom of the past, those adaptations may not be sustainable.

The challenge is optimal reconciliation – enhancing the stability of the old with the adaptiveness of the new. This requires a precise understanding of the norms that should not be compromised and a conscious prioritization of them based on context. Eventually, the groups that do this tend to survive the selection process better. But efficient collective outcomes mandate coordination through higher-level rules, the rules structured on top of prioritized norms.

Republished at ridersmodel.com