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Notes -
This post on "izzat" an Indian cultural honor system, went viral recently. I know we have at least a few Indian users here - how accurate is this characterization? Of course it's probably hard to generalize too much given the fragmented nature of India along cultural, linguistic, religious, and ethnic lines.
Here is the text in a non-image format from /r/askindia - the wide range of responses is interesting.
I watched this explode on Twitter and 4Chan last week. I think it will stick even as people make arguments about how its an Urdu word and not Hindu. People believe it pattern matches too well to a certain type of 'be the winner' or 'get one over them' behaviour so I can't see it disappearing anytime soon. This isn't purely an Indian concept, I've seen this type of thing in mainland Chinese behaviour too.
I see it as self-destructive suicidally empathetic 'white' high trust cultures developing an immune response to low trust behaviour in real time. Putting a label on the concept is just the first step in responding to the Eternal September of Indians (and other cultures) entering the West physically and online.
edit: Should make it clear I'm not Indian and I'm a heritage Westerner.
2nd edit: I'm surprised 'Izzat' hasn't blown up into a CWR top level post yet. Aukat is another key word I've heard mentioned in this context.
This is also a solid characterization of typical western progressive behavior (and in Eastern Bloc countries under Soviet rule), too, which is perhaps why the two get along so well.
Co-ordination of meanness (of value-finders/productive people) combined with weak state capacity can delete Izzet by deleting its followers when they attack- personal firearms meant a defender could delete an outsized number of attackers, so peace was forced that way- which is why as states weakened coincident with the ability to co-ordinate meanness growing (which is why the Enlightenment happened when it did) Izzet was mostly suppressed in the West.
Once state capacity eclipses the individual's ability to escape it, though, the followers of Izzet tend to be among the first to capture it if the citizenry doesn't wield it appropriately and crush them. This typically requires a monarch, though, since wielding political power that effectively requires a citizenry that is able, willing, and has enough time to do so... and that's not an evolved behavior like Izzet is.
Again, I don't think this is a uniquely Eastern thing- it's visible everywhere you look, should you choose.
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