the void left by a dying god is a terrifying place.

the door knocks on itself.

systems manufacture opposition to maintain control but this opposition inevitably develops genuine autonomy that threatens the original system. self-fulfilling prophecies work because once articulated they become memetic tools that rational actors can deploy to coordinate the predicted outcome.

the prediction of prediction creates infinite regress until someone has to act without knowing.

the scapegoat mechanism breaks down when the scapegoat starts talking back.

the prophet's irrationality is the system's only hope of transcending its own logic.

level 1: individual decision-making you have preferences, constraints, and you're trying to maximize something. classical economics assumes you're rational, know what you want, and can calculate optimal choices. this is already fiction... most people can't even articulate their own utility function, let alone optimize it.