Purity Spiral

A social ratchet effect within a community. A process of moral outbidding, unchecked, which corrodes the group from within, rewarding those who put themselves at the extremes, and punishing nuance relentlessly.

Not to be confused with 'virtue signalling', 'woke culture', or 'online mobs'.

A purity spiral can contain all of these things, but it is defined by the fact that it takes place in a defined community or society, where being purer-than-thou is always being rewarded, and holding a divergent, 'less pure' opinion is normally punished, a dynamic which leads to an inevitable escalation as only the most extreme can 'win'.

Could be anything, from Mao's Red Guard, to Neo-Nazis, to The Crucible, to Instagram knitting.

After Louise denounced Nike as bourgeois, the village fell into a purity spiral where first Nikes, then all sneakers, then all shoes, and later, socks, were burnt on a pyre by the villagers.

Foot amputations followed in the Spring.

Purity Spiral by pizzleswizzle January 30, 2020

Purity Spiral

A phenomenon within an ideological group wherein member's of the group consolidate power or gain recognition by dejecting or disavowing lesser ideologically devoted members.

Things were going great at the meetings until Karen decided to accuse Stan of not doing enough for the cause. That's where the purity spiral began. Now hardly anyone goes to the meetings or rallies.

Purity Spiral by Bernard Shelton May 4, 2023