Key Facts
- ✓ The 'conformity gate' theory suggests that disliked narrative events are viewed as simulations or dreams rather than legitimate plot points.
- ✓ International politics is described as experiencing a similar phenomenon where global issues are attributed to the delirium of a single individual.
- ✓ The text argues that this mechanism prevents observers from believing that democracy is actually being destroyed.
Quick Summary
International political discourse is currently experiencing a crisis of legitimacy that mirrors fan theories in entertainment media. Specifically, the concept of the conformity gate—a theory originating from the series Stranger Things—is used as a lens to view current events. This theory posits that when a narrative becomes unsatisfactory, audiences invent an alternate reality to explain away the perceived lack of authenticity, rather than questioning the narrative's validity itself.
In the political sphere, this manifests as a refusal to accept the reality of the current democratic landscape. Instead of acknowledging the systemic erosion of democratic institutions, observers attribute global turmoil to the erratic behavior of a single figure: Donald Trump. By framing these events as the delusions or singular actions of one individual, the public avoids confronting the uncomfortable truth that these events are actually happening and are legitimate outcomes of the current political environment. This psychological defense mechanism allows for the destruction of democracy to occur while the public remains in denial, inventing theories to explain away the loss of legitimacy.
The Conformity Gate Phenomenon
The concept of the conformity gate originated as a fan theory regarding the conclusion of the series Stranger Things. The theory argues that the final episodes do not represent the true reality of the story but are instead a simulation or the dream of one of the protagonists. This theory gained traction because it offered a way to reconcile the audience's disappointment with the narrative outcome without invalidating the story's internal logic. Rather than accepting that the narrative had simply taken a disliked turn, the majority theory shifted the blame to the perception of reality itself.
This psychological mechanism is not limited to entertainment. The text suggests that international politics is currently suffering from its own version of this phenomenon. When political events occur that are disliked by the observer, there is a tendency to invent an alternative reality to explain them. This prevents a direct critique of the events' legitimacy. Instead of questioning whether the events are real or valid, the observer creates a new thesis that explains the events away as something other than what they appear to be.
"Asistimos a la destrucción de la democracia sin creer que esté siendo destruida, e ideamos toda clase de teorías para intentar explicar la pérdida de legitimidad"
— Source Content
Political Reality vs. Perception
In the current political climate, the conformity gate mechanism is applied to the figure of Donald Trump. The narrative suggests that rather than accepting the reality of global events, observers attribute all "evils of the world" to the delirium or singular actions of Donald Trump. This allows the observer to maintain a sense of comfort by believing that the underlying systems are not actually failing; rather, they are being disrupted by one chaotic individual. This theory serves to protect the observer's belief in the stability of the world order.
However, the text argues that this is a dangerous form of denial. By focusing on the figure of Trump as the sole cause of disruption, observers fail to see the actual destruction of democracy taking place. The text states, "Asistimos a la destrucción de la democracia sin creer que esté siendo destruida," which translates to witnessing the destruction of democracy without believing it is being destroyed. The invention of theories serves to mask the loss of legitimacy in political institutions.
The Cost of Denial
The ultimate consequence of applying the conformity gate to politics is a paralysis of critical thought. When the public decides that the reality they dislike is merely a simulation or the fault of a single person, they stop trying to fix the systemic issues. The focus shifts from institutional reform to individual removal. This is a significant shift in political engagement, moving from structural analysis to personality-driven narratives.
The text implies that the legitimacy of political outcomes is being eroded not by the outcomes themselves, but by the refusal to accept them. By inventing a reality where Donald Trump is the only variable, the public avoids the difficult task of examining why these events are happening within the democratic framework. The result is a society that watches the dismantling of its norms but remains convinced that it is merely watching a bad episode of television that can be retconned or ignored.
