Definitions by Abzugal

Retention of Conclusions

A meta-fallacy and meta-bias where one prevents an opponent from reaching any conclusion by constantly accusing them of “jumping to conclusions” whenever they attempt to synthesize evidence or draw an inference. Unlike genuine caution against hasty generalization, retention of conclusions is a rhetorical tactic used to stall discussion indefinitely. The accuser demands an impossible level of certainty—requiring that every possible alternative be ruled out, every source be verified beyond doubt, and every ambiguity be resolved—before any conclusion can be entertained. The effect is to paralyze the opponent, making any forward movement in reasoning seem reckless. This bias weaponizes epistemic humility to avoid ever committing to a position.

Retention of Conclusions Example: “Every time she tried to summarize the evidence, he cried ‘jumping to conclusions!’—retention of conclusions, using the fear of haste to prevent any conclusion at all.”

Retention of Conclusions by Abzugal April 3, 2026

Secularology

The study of secular institutions—especially atheist, skeptic, and secular humanist organizations in real life and online—using Kremlinological methods to map hidden leadership, internal factions, purity spirals, and excommunication rituals. Secularologists analyze conference speaker lineups, donation patterns, social media call‑outs within the community, and the rise of “skeptic” influencers. Like Sovietologists studying party purges, secularologists study how secular communities enforce orthodoxy (rejection of anything “woo”), how they expel heretics (those who question materialism or criticize movement leaders), and how they maintain the appearance of unity despite deep schisms. The field reveals that secularism is not immune to the social dynamics of religion.

Example: "Secularology research traced how a prominent skeptic organization split into two warring factions after a dispute over sexual harassment policies—the excommunications were performed via public threads, and the schism was permanent."

Secularology by Abzugal April 2, 2026

Academology

The study of the academy, science, scientific consensus, and the scientific community using Kremlinological methods—inferring the hidden politics of citation, funding, peer review, and career advancement. Academologists analyze which research gets funded, which papers are cited, which theories are labeled “fringe,” and which scientists are promoted. Like Sovietologists tracking the rise and fall of party officials, academologists track the rise and fall of research programs, noting that scientific revolutions often require the retirement (or death) of old gatekeepers. The field demystifies the image of science as pure reason, revealing it as a human institution with its own power struggles, orthodoxies, and excommunications.

Example: "Academology research demonstrated that a promising theory was suppressed for a decade because its proponents lacked access to elite journal editorial boards—not because the evidence was weak, but because the social structure of the field excluded them."

Academology by Abzugal April 2, 2026

Cultureology

The study of culture—especially popular culture and mass culture—using Kremlinological inference to understand the hidden production of meaning, taste, and social cohesion. Cultureologists analyze which cultural products are elevated (festivals, awards, canonization), which are ignored (underground, alternative), and which are actively suppressed. Like Sovietologists studying the socialist realist novel as a tool of state ideology, cultureologists study how streaming algorithms, influencer trends, and corporate consolidation shape what millions watch, listen to, and believe. The field reveals that culture is not a spontaneous expression of the people but a contested field shaped by economic and political forces.

Example: "Cultureology research showed that the rise of a certain music genre was not a grassroots movement but the result of a concentrated marketing campaign by a single entertainment conglomerate—taste manufactured, not discovered."

Cultureology by Abzugal April 2, 2026

Mediaology

The study of media—mass media, social media, and popular media—using Kremlinological methods to infer hidden structures of ownership, editorial bias, content suppression, and narrative control. Mediaologists analyze what stories are covered and at what length, which guests are invited and which are blacklisted, and how framing shifts over time. Like Sovietologists reading newspaper layouts for clues about leadership priorities, mediaologists read front pages, trending topics, and algorithmically promoted content to map the invisible hand of media power. The field reveals that media content is not a random sampling of events but a curated projection shaped by economic interests, political pressures, and the personal biases of a few gatekeepers.

Example: "Mediaology research tracked how a major story disappeared from cable news after the network’s parent company was threatened with a lawsuit—the story wasn’t retracted, it just never appeared again."

Mediaology by Abzugal April 2, 2026

Paradigmology

The study of paradigms—the frameworks that define what is thinkable in a given community—using Kremlinological methods. Paradigmologists infer the hidden rules of permissible discourse from what can be said, what cannot be said, and what is simply not thought. Like Sovietologists knowing that certain topics were unmentionable not because of censorship but because the conceptual language didn’t exist, paradigmologists study how scientific, political, or cultural paradigms enforce orthodoxy without explicit bans. They analyze which theories are funded, which are ridiculed, and which are simply ignored. Paradigmology reveals that the most powerful controls are the ones that make alternatives literally unimaginable.

Example: "Paradigmology research showed that in mainstream economics, the idea of a post‑growth society was not debated or refuted—it was simply absent, as invisible as a heresy in a theocracy."

Paradigmology by Abzugal April 2, 2026

Stigmology

The study of social stigma using Kremlinological methods—inferring the unwritten rules of disgrace, contamination, and rehabilitation from observable behaviors (avoidance, coded language, silence). Stigmologists analyze who is considered “tainted,” how stigma spreads from person to person (guilt by association), and what rituals (apologies, purges, renunciations) restore standing. Like Sovietologists studying how a disgraced official’s name disappeared from photos, stigmologists study how a canceled person’s mentions vanish, how their friends distance themselves, and how the stigma can linger indefinitely. The field reveals that stigma operates like a pollution system, with its own priests (influencers who pronounce someone “problematic”) and excommunication rites.

Example: "Stigmology research traced how a single accusation spread through a professional network: first the accused was unfriended, then her collaborators were quietly warned, then her name became unmentionable—a digital excommunication."

Stigmology by Abzugal April 2, 2026