Hyperstition

Hyperstition

Short Description: Beliefs that create their own reality.

CAT ID: CAT-2024-010

Layer: 8

Operational Scale: Operational

Level of Maturity: Proof-of-Concept

Category: Vulnerability

Subcategory:

Also Known As: Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Description:

Brief Description: Beliefs that create their own reality through dissemination.

Closely Related Concepts:

Mechanism: Misinformation, Disinformation, Malicious Narrative

Multipliers: Uncertainty

Detailed Description: The core idea of hyperstition is that a belief or narrative, once it gains enough traction among a group of people, can bring about the very reality it depicts. Even if the initial belief is unfounded, it becomes "real" due to the actions that the belief motivates. This interaction between belief, behavior, and outcome shows how hyperstitions can materially influence real-world events based on the power of perceptions and expectations.

INTERACTIONS [VETs]:

Examples:

Use Case Example(s): A collective belief that a stock is unstable and likely to collapse, is spread among investors, and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The fictional narrative takes on a life of its own. As investors act on this belief by selling off their shares, the stock price indeed falls, ultimately leading to the stock's collapse.

Example(s) From The Wild: The viral purchase of toilet paper in retail at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in response to stories of supplies being depleted. The stories of supply scarcity motivated more people to search out and purchase remaining stock.