Rallying flag

Created: 2023-04-14 Updated: 2023-04-14

rallying flag (identitätsstiftendes Signal, übersetzt als "Fahne, an der man sich sammelt"): Slate Star Codex beschreibt rallying flags als Überzeugung, die eine Gruppe zusammenhält.

Slate Star Codex - The Ideology Is Not The Movement

"The rallying flag is the explicit purpose of the tribe. It’s usually a belief, event, or activity that get people with that specific pre-existing difference together and excited. Often it brings previously latent differences into sharp relief. People meet around the rallying flag, encounter each other, and say “You seem like a kindred soul!” or “I thought I was the only one!” Usually it suggests some course of action, which provides the tribe with a purpose. For atheists, the rallying flag is not believing in God. Somebody says “Hey, I don’t believe in God, if you also don’t believe in God come over here and we’ll hang out together and talk about how much religious people suck.” All the atheists go over by the rallying flag and get very excited about meeting each other. It starts with “Wow, you hate church too?”, moves on to “Really, you also like science fiction?”, and ends up at “Wow, you have the same undefinable habits of thought that I do!”"