The analysis of individual and collective thought patterns as mental crystals. A cognitive crystalline structure forms when fundamental assumptions, logical rules, and perceptual habits (the "mental unit cells") lock into a rigid, self-reinforcing lattice of thought. This lattice processes all incoming information, forcing it to conform to its pre-existing geometry. Thinking becomes predictable, efficient within its domain, and highly resistant to change. The result is cognitive brittleness: an inability to solve problems that require thinking outside the lattice, leading to paradoxical blind spots and ideological dogma. New information that doesn't fit the lattice is either rejected or recut to match its shape.
Cognitive Crystalline Structure Theory Example: A dogmatic ideological framework, whether radical libertarianism or Stalinist dialectical materialism, can form a Cognitive Crystalline Structure. The "unit cells" are core axioms (e.g., "The market is always efficient," "All history is class struggle"). Every new event—a financial crash, a social movement—is interpreted by forcing it into this lattice. This provides coherent, predictable explanations but creates catastrophic blind spots, as the thinker cannot perceive facets of reality that lie outside the crystal's geometry.
by Nammugal February 5, 2026
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