Destruction through Construction

The act of diminishing or destroying the original meaning or purpose of an entity (be it individual, location, building, group, etc) during the act of building it up (building up the image, adding to the building, adding more rules to a group, etc). Not to be confused with hype, which is the building up of expectation.

Guy 1: “Man the club used to be so fun, now its just a drag, what happened?”
Guy 2: “Destruction through construction, id say it happened when that one guy came in and added all those rules.”

by Jacob Mei April 21, 2010

Theory of Logical Constructions

The theory that logic is not discovered but constructed—built by communities, shaped by cultures, developed through history, contingent rather than necessary. Logical Constructions argues that what counts as logical varies across time and place, that different societies develop different reasoning norms, that even the laws of logic are human products. This doesn't mean logic is arbitrary; it means logic is a tool, not a revelation—a human creation for human purposes. The Theory of Logical Constructions explains why different cultures reason differently, why logical systems change over time, why what seems self-evident in one context seems strange in another. Logic is constructed, not found—and constructed things can be reconstructed.

Theory of Logical Constructions Example: "He'd always thought logic was universal—the same for everyone, everywhere, always. Then he encountered the Theory of Logical Constructions and learned that different cultures had developed different logics, that even the law of non-contradiction wasn't universal, that logic was a human product like any other. His certainty wavered; his curiosity grew. Logic wasn't less real; it was differently real—made, not found."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Scientific Constructions

The theory that science is not a pure reflection of reality but a construction—built by communities, shaped by interests, developed through history, contingent rather than necessary. Scientific Constructions argues that scientific facts are not simply discovered but produced, that scientific methods are not timeless but historical, that scientific knowledge bears the marks of its makers. This doesn't mean science is false; it means science is human—fallible, situated, shaped by the conditions of its production. The Theory of Scientific Constructions explains why science changes, why different cultures develop different sciences, why scientific knowledge is always provisional. Science is constructed, not revealed—and constructed things can be improved.

Theory of Scientific Constructions Example: "She'd been taught that science was pure discovery—nature revealing itself to patient observers. The Theory of Scientific Constructions showed her otherwise: science was made, not found—shaped by funding, by institutions, by culture, by power. The knowledge was real, but so was the process that produced it. Science wasn't less true; it was differently true—human truth, not divine."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Rationality Constructions

The theory that rationality itself is constructed—that what counts as reasonable, logical, or rational varies across contexts and is shaped by social, cultural, and historical forces. Rationality Constructions argues that there is no single, universal standard of reason—only different communities with different norms, developed for different purposes, serving different interests. This doesn't mean reason is arbitrary; it means reason is plural, that different rationalities exist, that the question isn't "is it rational?" but "rational by whose standards?" The Theory of Rationality Constructions explains why cross-cultural communication is hard, why debates about reason never end, why what seems obvious to one person seems absurd to another. Rationality is constructed, not given—and constructed things can be contested.

Theory of Rationality Constructions Example: "He couldn't understand why his arguments didn't convince people from different backgrounds. The Theory of Rationality Constructions explained: they were using different rationalities, different standards, different norms. His logic was logical in his framework; theirs was logical in theirs. Neither was wrong; they were just differently constructed. Understanding didn't win arguments, but it stopped him from calling them irrational."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Efficiency Constructions

The theory that efficiency is not a natural or neutral measure but a constructed concept—built by particular interests for particular purposes, shaped by social, economic, and political forces. Efficiency Constructions argues that what counts as "efficient" depends on who's asking, what they value, what they're trying to achieve. An efficient factory from an owner's perspective (maximizing output per worker) may be profoundly inefficient from a worker's perspective (maximizing exploitation). An efficient healthcare system from a budget perspective (minimizing cost) may be inefficient from a patient's perspective (minimizing care). The theory reveals that efficiency is always efficiency-for, never efficiency-in-itself.

Example: "He'd always thought efficiency was just efficiency—a neutral measure of how well things worked. The Theory of Efficiency Constructions showed him otherwise: efficiency was always constructed, always from some perspective. The factory was efficient for profits, not for workers; the policy was efficient for budgets, not for people. He stopped asking 'is it efficient?' and started asking 'efficient for whom?'"

by Abzugal February 21, 2026