The act of signalling exclusivity or secrecy, even when there’s no substantial reason. It mimics in-group dynamics to create a heightened sense of importance, often leaving outsiders feeling excluded, even when the content is trivial.
Super-signalling can be thought of as a kind of unintentional gaslighting. The term comes from the 1938 play Gas Light, where a man drives his wife to the brink of insanity by gradually dimming the lights in their apartment while pretending that nothing has changed.
Super-signalling operates similarly, although more subtly. There’s really nothing there, yet our very human Fear Of Missing Out is triggered. While gaslighting is deliberate, super-signalling is often unconscious—those engaging in it are likely unaware of the (super) signals they’re transmitting.
The behaviour is rampant on social media. Vague status updates, cryptic tweets, or ‘stories’ that hint at something significant without revealing any details are the digital equivalent of those whispered huddles. They tap into our instinct to belong, leaving us wondering what we’ve missed.
The same is true for airy corporate slides with conspicuous stamps of saying “CONFIDENTIAL,” when it’s apparent that they contain little of substance.
Or scientific presentations where heavy smoke screens of technical jargon obscure the fact that the subject being studied is actually quite inconsequential.
As Gertrude Stein once quipped: “There’s no there there.”
Super-signalling operates similarly, although more subtly. There’s really nothing there, yet our very human Fear Of Missing Out is triggered. While gaslighting is deliberate, super-signalling is often unconscious—those engaging in it are likely unaware of the (super) signals they’re transmitting.
The behaviour is rampant on social media. Vague status updates, cryptic tweets, or ‘stories’ that hint at something significant without revealing any details are the digital equivalent of those whispered huddles. They tap into our instinct to belong, leaving us wondering what we’ve missed.
The same is true for airy corporate slides with conspicuous stamps of saying “CONFIDENTIAL,” when it’s apparent that they contain little of substance.
Or scientific presentations where heavy smoke screens of technical jargon obscure the fact that the subject being studied is actually quite inconsequential.
As Gertrude Stein once quipped: “There’s no there there.”
by SlowThinker October 26, 2024
by Topax February 29, 2024
Meghan: Oh my god, I heard Chrystal gave Hector some Super Sentry Succ last night!
Riley: Oh my god, what a hoe!
Riley: Oh my god, what a hoe!
by MichaelMiller851 March 27, 2018
A Super Bowl is ether a cereal eating competition or a foot ball term that means championship that the patriots seem to consistently get into and lose
Cool kid:My grandma wan a super bowl
Not cool kid: what cereal did she eat
Cool kid: gluten free low fat small sized pizza flavors Honey Nut Cheerios
Not cool kid: what cereal did she eat
Cool kid: gluten free low fat small sized pizza flavors Honey Nut Cheerios
by Scoop poop January 23, 2019
by a definitioner January 21, 2024
if eating were like making money (from commercials mostly, in this case), the NFL's "Super Bowl" (and other college "bowl" games), then the American football stadium "bowl" (as seen zoomed out), sure is "super" to those certain business people making all that money.
Would you rather have soup or bowl.. of MONEY! from the Super Bowl? I know our advertising department's got a superbowl to eat off of with that recent deal made.
by kikibo22 November 28, 2019
by Yeetirbeyeeted February 04, 2019