NakedEdmund's definitions
An extrusive thought is a belief or mental narrative that originates outside the individual—i.e. culture, institutions, economics, or social systems—and becomes unconsciously internalized & experienced as a personal belief, even in conflicts with one’s values, biology, or well-being.
Unlike intrusive thoughts (unwanted, distressing thoughts that feel foreign), extrusive thoughts are ego-syntonic: they feel normal, realistic, and unquestionable because they are socially rewarded. Their harm is not loud or immediate, but slow and corrosive—showing up as chronic anxiety, burnout, compulsive striving, identity confusion, moral injury, and disconnection from embodied reality.
Extrusive thoughts prioritize abstractions over lived experience and function as normative mental occupiers, quietly shaping self-worth, behavior, and life direction while remaining culturally invisible.
Key traits:
• External origin (culture, capitalism, nationalism, romantic myths)
• Unconscious internalization (enculturation, introjection, reward)
• Feels “normal” or “just how things are”
• Directs behavior and self-judgment
• Pathogenic over time
Contrast:
Intrusive thoughts violate the mind from within.
Extrusive thoughts violate the mind from without.
Examples:
• “My worth equals my productivity.”
• “Money represents real value, not a shared fiction.”
• “Borders reflect natural human divisions.”
• “One partner should meet all my needs.”
• “Criticizing my country is criticizing me.”
Unlike intrusive thoughts (unwanted, distressing thoughts that feel foreign), extrusive thoughts are ego-syntonic: they feel normal, realistic, and unquestionable because they are socially rewarded. Their harm is not loud or immediate, but slow and corrosive—showing up as chronic anxiety, burnout, compulsive striving, identity confusion, moral injury, and disconnection from embodied reality.
Extrusive thoughts prioritize abstractions over lived experience and function as normative mental occupiers, quietly shaping self-worth, behavior, and life direction while remaining culturally invisible.
Key traits:
• External origin (culture, capitalism, nationalism, romantic myths)
• Unconscious internalization (enculturation, introjection, reward)
• Feels “normal” or “just how things are”
• Directs behavior and self-judgment
• Pathogenic over time
Contrast:
Intrusive thoughts violate the mind from within.
Extrusive thoughts violate the mind from without.
Examples:
• “My worth equals my productivity.”
• “Money represents real value, not a shared fiction.”
• “Borders reflect natural human divisions.”
• “One partner should meet all my needs.”
• “Criticizing my country is criticizing me.”
Therapeutic progress accelerated once the client learned to distinguish intrusive thoughts from extrusive thoughts imposed by cultural success narratives.
What presented as personal failure was later identified as an extrusive thought rooted in internalized meritocratic ideology.
The patient’s anxiety diminished as extrusive beliefs about productivity and self-worth were consciously de-installed.
What presented as personal failure was later identified as an extrusive thought rooted in internalized meritocratic ideology.
The patient’s anxiety diminished as extrusive beliefs about productivity and self-worth were consciously de-installed.
by NakedEdmund December 17, 2025
Get the Extrusive Thought mug.VHS Theorem
aka The Downward-Value Utility Arbitrage Principle
/vee-aitch-es thee-uh-ruhm/
Definition:
A consumer hack for maximum lifestyle value on a pauper budget. The VHS Theorem states: when something’s cultural clout collapses faster than its functionality, its utility-per-dollar skyrockets. In plain English: if it still works but nobody wants it, it’s basically magic.
Mechanics:
Cultural Abandonment – everyone chases the new shiny thing.
Functional Persistence – the old stuff still works fine.
Depression Pricing – sellers panic-sell at rock-bottom prices.
Utility Extraction – you live like a sultan on a scratch-off budget.
Examples:
VHS tapes, DVDs, old game consoles, CRT TVs, secondhand instruments, cast iron, estate sale gold — basically anything that fell out of fashion but still functions.
When culture abandons it, the wise inherit it.
aka The Downward-Value Utility Arbitrage Principle
/vee-aitch-es thee-uh-ruhm/
Definition:
A consumer hack for maximum lifestyle value on a pauper budget. The VHS Theorem states: when something’s cultural clout collapses faster than its functionality, its utility-per-dollar skyrockets. In plain English: if it still works but nobody wants it, it’s basically magic.
Mechanics:
Cultural Abandonment – everyone chases the new shiny thing.
Functional Persistence – the old stuff still works fine.
Depression Pricing – sellers panic-sell at rock-bottom prices.
Utility Extraction – you live like a sultan on a scratch-off budget.
Examples:
VHS tapes, DVDs, old game consoles, CRT TVs, secondhand instruments, cast iron, estate sale gold — basically anything that fell out of fashion but still functions.
When culture abandons it, the wise inherit it.
“Picked up 50 VHS tapes for $20 and watched classics all weekend. Totally The VHS Theorem at work, my man!"
by NakedEdmund December 17, 2025
Get the The VHS Theorem mug.The state of pushing technological, social, or economic progress beyond the point of sustainability or necessity, often leading to unintended harm or diminishing returns. Overprogression occurs when society advances for the sake of advancement, without questioning whether the changes actually improve quality of life.
In our relentless pursuit of innovation, overprogression has led us to a world where food is engineered but devoid of nutrition, conversations are instantaneous but empty, and convenience has replaced connection—proving that not all progress is inherently good.
by NakedEdmund February 19, 2025
Get the Overprogression mug.The belief that the present era is inherently superior to all previous periods in history, regardless of evidence to the contrary. This mindset dismisses past knowledge, traditions, and ways of living as primitive or obsolete, reinforcing the assumption that modern society represents the pinnacle of human achievement.
The rise of historical supremacy in modern education leads many to dismiss indigenous knowledge systems, ignoring centuries of wisdom in favor of a narrative that privileges only the so-called advancements of the present.
by NakedEdmund February 19, 2025
Get the Historical Supremacy mug.1. A cognitive technique used to challenge and expand personal perspectives by deliberately reversing one’s usual way of thinking about a subject or idea. This involves considering the opposite of what is typically believed or assumed, such as viewing an attribute once thought undesirable in a positive light. The goal is not necessarily to adopt the opposite belief, but to explore and examine the subject from a different angle, encouraging new insights and challenging ingrained judgments.
2. A mental exercise where one takes a commonly held view or assumption and actively imagines it in its inverse form, questioning why something is perceived the way it is, and considering what value or meaning might exist in the opposite perspective.
2. A mental exercise where one takes a commonly held view or assumption and actively imagines it in its inverse form, questioning why something is perceived the way it is, and considering what value or meaning might exist in the opposite perspective.
By practicing inverse thinking, she began to see her wrinkles not as signs of aging, but as beautiful markers of the wisdom and experiences she had gathered over the years.
by NakedEdmund February 19, 2025
Get the Inverse Thinking mug.1. A deliberate yet unstructured approach to experimentation where the question is carefully crafted with a clear goal in mind, but the testing process is fluid, spontaneous, and open to unexpected insights. It values creativity, instinct, and adaptability over conventional scientific rigor, fostering discovery through non-traditional methods.
2. A process of exploration and testing that begins with a purposeful, well-thought-out hypothesis or question, aimed at reaching a specific and intentional conclusion. Unlike traditional scientific methods, the approach to testing is freeform, relying on intuition, gut feeling, and creative exploration rather than rigid protocols or measurement.
2. A process of exploration and testing that begins with a purposeful, well-thought-out hypothesis or question, aimed at reaching a specific and intentional conclusion. Unlike traditional scientific methods, the approach to testing is freeform, relying on intuition, gut feeling, and creative exploration rather than rigid protocols or measurement.
Instead of following a strict experimental protocol, Sarah approached the problem with instinctive inquiry, allowing her intuition and spontaneous insights to guide the process, ultimately uncovering a solution she hadn’t expected.
by NakedEdmund February 19, 2025
Get the Instinctive Inquiry mug.An individual who critically examines and questions all systems, structures, beliefs, and ideas—cultural, political, scientific, philosophical, or otherwise. A heterodoxologist challenges assumptions, disrupts conventional thinking, and seeks to uncover deeper truths or overlooked possibilities. Their approach is rooted in intellectual curiosity and skepticism, striving to move beyond accepted norms to foster understanding and innovation.
As a self-proclaimed heterodoxologist, Maria spent her career challenging conventional political ideologies, seeking alternative perspectives and uncovering truths that others overlooked in their rush to conform to mainstream thought.
by NakedEdmund February 19, 2025
Get the Heterodoxologist mug.