Baseline Oppression

Baseline Oppression by Nasser Kashou


How are control theory and human behavior related?

In control theory, the goal is to provide feedback loop mechanism that will efficiently control a process by removing oscillations and reaching a stable system. This is typically demonstrated and measured with a step response which contains a transient overcompensation or overshoot in the signal, red response (Fig 1).

Fig 1. Step response of human behavior.

This response, action and reaction (feedback loop), is seen in human behavior. Similar to control theory we have to adjust our parameters to keep our human social system, stable.

When oppression is baseline for a long time, people will be born into an unjust system. Eventually a trigger (at time = 0) will cause a response wherein initially the result will be the other end of oppression because of over corrective measures (overshoot). The tables are flipped during this transient response stage. The oppressed become the oppressors.

Both the initial and transient states are oppressive. However, after some time the over corrective oppression will stabilize to a new midline (moderate) response where justice can prevail.

The question is how long will this time take?

The answer to this depends on the social scale we are observing. If it is a one on one human interaction then it could be a matter of seconds or minutes. At the societal scale it could be days or weeks. In reality, it could be years, decades or even longer especially if we do not learn from our initial state.  There are infinite possibilities (Fig 2) because there are many variables influencing the “human mechanism”, namely the mind and heart.

Fig 2. Additional human responses. In this case the most ideal is the black curve. 

In the end, the goal is to achieve stability as quickly as possible around the target level of justice with minimal overcompensation, green response (Fig 1).

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