For each of 12 Mondays from November through January I am summarizing one of my original ideas.
8. In a voluntary society, most of the things we do are the result of social sorting.
Social sorting explains where you live, where you work, what organizations you belong to, what media you pay attention to, who your friends are and pretty much what happens to you during your life.
Social sorting has three components: the flag, the screen and the overflow.
The flag is what attracts you to each institution. Sometimes the flag is obvious and a strong draw, such as the desire to become like a friend of yours who is a captain in the Air Force. Sometimes it is merely the PTA of the school your second child goes to. Often where we work is based on what we know about the company or the field of work.
The screen is what allows us to become a member of the institution. Sometimes it is very strong such as getting through the employment interviews or passing the New York State bar examination. Sometimes the screen is unnoticeable such as attending a baseball game or registering to vote in the Green Party. Buying a particular house may only require good credit or being blind to the hazards of living near a high school.
The overflow is the final determinant of your membership or participation in any institution. At work, the day comes when you know you are not appreciated or you don't belong and you quit. In a membership organization, you just know that time has gone by and you have made few friends so you leave. You just stop going to a particular coffee shop and don't really know why, it just doesn't feel right any more.
Nearly all of our choices and accommodations in life are the result of these three mechanisms in social sorting.
A full description of social sorting can be found in my book Gods of Commerce published in 1997...... beginning on page 34.