Coherence

Used here as the experience of internal and collective sense-making. When coherence breaks down, people no longer feel the world is legible, predictable, or anchored in shared meaning. A precondition for psychological and social stability.

"The collapse of institutional trust doesn’t just leave a vacuum of authority—it leaves a vacuum of coherence."

Epistemic Tribalism

A form of identity-based knowledge formation in which what is accepted as “true” is not grounded in evidence but in allegiance to group identity. In this framework, coherence is valued over contradiction, and belonging is reinforced through shared narratives.

“Tribalism by design: identity-based epistemology, where truth is defined by allegiance, coherence is valued over evidence…”

Mythologizing Pain

Source: Maté, G. (2022). The Myth of Normal. Also grounded in narrative trauma theory (e.g., Herman, 1992).

A trauma-informed concept describing the psychological process of assigning larger meaning to suffering in order to avoid the chaos of randomness or powerlessness. Rather than process grief directly, individuals and groups often wrap pain in narrative logic—framing it as necessary, deserved, or redemptive. This can serve as a coping mechanism, offering coherence without healing.

“We tell ourselves, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ ‘It will make us stronger.’ These stories help us cope—because to endure pain without meaning is almost unbearable. But that imposed meaning isn’t neutral. It helps us bypass grief and go straight to performing.”

Ontological Security

Source: Mitzen (2006)
A sense of psychological and existential continuity. When people or institutions feel unstable, they turn to predictable scripts—even harmful or untrue ones—to preserve a sense of self and coherence.

“They offered ontological security: a way to feel intact even when the external world was unraveling.”

Performing (as coping)

Source: Maté, G. (2022).

A trauma-informed concept describing behavior that mimics agency or transformation without addressing the underlying rupture. It serves to preserve the appearance of normalcy or control, often at the expense of healing.

“Performing, in this sense, is not generative. It’s a coping mechanism. It mimics agency while avoiding introspection.”

Narrative Dissociation

Source: Mate, implied from trauma theory

A psychological distancing strategy in which emotionally charged or complex realities are simplified through mythic or strategic storytelling, often to avoid accountability.

Implied from trauma theory and AI Anomia (Haskell, 2024).

“In psychological terms, it’s narrative dissociation. In political terms, it’s plausible deniability.”

Strategic Myth

Synthesized from Lasch (1996), Hoffer (1951)

Narratives that don’t emerge organically, but are consciously designed—by authors, consultants, political actors—to provide coherence, assign roles, and foreclose dissent. They are often mistaken for prophecy but are actually tools of social and political positioning.

“They don’t just comfort—they deflect. They allow discomfort to be reframed as destiny.”

Secular Scripture

A text or ideology that offers mythic structure, moral clarity, and redemptive roles in the absence of religious or institutional trust.
Bellah (1967), Durkheim (1912/1995).

“Books like The Fourth Turning and The Next 100 Years don't just offer commentary. They provide something closer to liturgy.”

Trauma Structure

Source: Maté, G. (2022)

A constructed narrative framework used to make emotional or societal pain feel coherent—substituting meaning for actual healing.

“They felt like prophecy. But what they really offered was trauma structure.”