Sociological Perspective
Human nature and social structures behind schemes
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| SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Don't lament "moral decay" |
| Generational shifts destroy "universal values" |
| |
| 1980s: Bell-bottoms = crime |
| Future: Pump-style streams = normal |
| |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+1/ Social Functions of Schemes
From a sociological perspective, schemes are not just financial instruments, but also:
- Channels for social mobility
- Mechanisms for wealth redistribution
- Carriers of attention economy
- Forms of community organization
2/ Construction of Trust
Trust in traditional society comes from:
- Blood relations
- Geographic relations
- Institutional authority backing
Trust in the Crypto era comes from:
- Code transparency (smart contracts)
- Game equilibrium (economic incentives)
- Community consensus (Meme/narrative)
3/ Class & Audience
| Class | Scheme Preference | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Information advantage | Split Ponzi (operator) | Can control token distribution |
| Capital advantage | Dividend Ponzi (whale) | Pursue stable returns |
| Time advantage | Mutual-Aid Ponzi/Shitcoins | Can invest effort in arbitrage |
| No advantage | Meme/Gambling | Pursue high-multiple gambles |
4/ Construction of Legitimacy
Vitalik sets rules for splits through narrative:
DeFi → NFT/SBT → LSD → Layer2 → Restaking
Core positions in each narrative are extremely limited = Control split rateThis is a form of social engineering:
- Define "orthodox" vs "heterodox"
- Allocate limited attention and liquidity
- Maintain vested interests' positions
5/ Reflexivity & Prophecy
Self-fulfilling prophecy in sociology:
Think it will rise → Buy → Actually rises → More people think it will rise → ...
Think it will crash → Sell → Actually crashes → More people think it will crash → ...The essence of schemes is managing this process of expectation self-fulfillment.
6/ Evolution of Norms
| Era | Behavior Seen as Deviant | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1980s | Bell-bottom pants | Retro fashion |
| 1990s | Online dating | Mainstream method |
| 2000s | Bitcoin | Legal asset |
| 2010s | ICO | Variants continue to exist |
| 2020s | Pump livestreams | Being normalized |
7/ Progress of Civilization?
A controversial viewpoint:
We've popularized the act of "harvesting others" - effectively a "technique of population control" - to younger generations, liberating them from the hypocritical moral judgment frameworks forcibly imposed by ruling classes, decriminalizing various zero-sum activities by mid-century, allowing everyone to PVP equally and outsmart others.
Is this "advancing human civilization" or "moral decline"?
Perhaps the answer depends on where you stand.
Core Insights
Sociological Perspective Core:
├── Schemes are mappings of social structures
├── Trust mechanisms are evolving
├── Norms are constantly being broken and rebuilt
└── History is written by victors
Insights for Operators:
├── Understand your audience's position in social structure
├── Exploit changes in trust mechanisms
├── Don't frame the future with outdated norms
└── Adaptation is more effective than resistance"Do kings and nobles have innate superiority!"