{"id":5324,"date":"2019-04-29T08:00:47","date_gmt":"2019-04-29T12:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/?p=5324"},"modified":"2023-11-01T16:36:00","modified_gmt":"2023-11-01T20:36:00","slug":"56-natural-regulation-worth-social-hormones-conscience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/?p=5324","title":{"rendered":"56. Natural Regulation: Worth, Social Hormones, Conscience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Humans<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n

Chapter 2: What Were They Thinking?<\/p>\n

Digression: Government from the Paleolithic to Philadelphia<\/p>\n

Page 56: Internal Social Regulation: Worth<\/p>\n

Sis taking a confident pose on some books, but Average Joe jumps in front interrupting.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS<\/em><\/p>\n

PEER PRES-<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

JOE<\/em><\/p>\n

Oh, I get it…<\/p>\n

HORMONES!<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

SIS\u00a0(taken aback)<\/em><\/p>\n

What? No!<\/p>\n

Remember how I brought up gossip<\/strong> a few pages back? That\u2019s<\/strong> how we kept tabs on each other, and that\u2019s<\/strong> how we made sure our peers lived up to our standards!<\/strong><\/p>\n

JOE\u00a0(thinking it through)<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeeesss… but how would that have worked?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I imagine we\u2019d be living up to these standards automatically.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For self-regulation to be as natural as you\u2019re saying, we\u2019d have to know how to behave… without<\/strong> stopping to think through every little thing…<\/p>\n

…which means our default social regulation can\u2019t be a conscious<\/strong> process, but an unconscious, biological<\/strong> process! A natural one, like any other animal.<\/p>\n

(I mean, really, isn\u2019t that where you were going with all this?)<\/p>\n

SIS\u00a0(weighing words gesture)<\/em><\/p>\n

Kinda…<\/p>\n

Well, yes and no…<\/p>\n

I mean, at the heart <\/strong>of, uh…<\/p>\n

It all works because deep down, we all fundamentally crave<\/p>\n

WORTH<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

…and that<\/em> is the secret<\/strong> to our success!<\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

When talking about the \u201cwhy\u201d and \u201chow\u201d of government, we often think of people as self-serving economic units
— each of us acting as individuals, trying to maximize our own self-interest. That sounds<\/em> good, but it\u2019s wrong.<\/strong> It\u2019s a false assumption, and it\u2019ll give you screwy results.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s equally incorrect to say our \u201cdefault\u201d social order is to help our \u201cblood\u201d — folks who share our same lineage. Again, these ideas of family, tribe, and clan are fairly recent. They\u2019re potent narratives, sure, but they\u2019re not our nature.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019d argue that our real<\/strong> default — what truly drives human social regulation — is our inherent desire for worth.<\/strong> For the sense that we matter…<\/strong> to the people who matter to us!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Smiling girl clutching a flower<\/em><\/p>\n

GIRL<\/em><\/p>\n

You like me! You really like me!<\/p>\n

Text box with Sis and Joe cameos.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS<\/em><\/p>\n

Important: Worth is not<\/strong> inherent. You\u2019re not born with it, it\u2019s not automatic just because you exist. It\u2019s really not even a trait you have<\/strong>. Worth is a perception that other<\/strong> people have… about<\/strong> you.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong, it\u2019s great to live today in a culture that says everyone has a basic human value. That narrative is central<\/strong> to so much of constitutional law! But it\u2019s only our present narrative, not a universal truth. And this value still only describes how we<\/strong> feel about you… not how you are.<\/strong><\/p>\n

JOE<\/em><\/p>\n

And you thought I<\/strong> was wordy!<\/p>\n

Fishing people on the beach, one guy repairing a net, one offering to help him, and another guy lazing about.<\/em><\/p>\n

YOUNG WOMAN\u00a0(indicating the guy offering to help)<\/em><\/p>\n

See this guy? He\u2019s a good<\/strong> person. Tries to do the right thing, pulls his weight, cares<\/strong> how you\u2019re doing…<\/p>\n

See if you can guess how we all feel about him!<\/strong><\/p>\n

HELPER GUY<\/em><\/p>\n

Need a hand?<\/p>\n

YOUNG WOMAN<\/em><\/p>\n

Not like that no-good worthless<\/strong> asshole over there — only cares about himself… always there are meal times, but never around when there\u2019s work to do…<\/p>\n

Mm-hmm. Guess who ain\u2019t getting a seat at supper any more?<\/p>\n

People walking away from an anguished woman.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

And worth does<\/strong> drive unconscious, biological self-regulation.<\/p>\n

Each of us is a social, communal being who needs<\/strong> the acceptance of others as much as we need food — maybe even more.<\/p>\n

A sense of belonging, of being valued, respected… Such things may not be technically necessary for our organs to function, but they are<\/strong> a biological requirement if our minds and bodies are to function properly.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hardly surprising, it being a matter of life and death and all that.<\/p>\n

Handy and Dandy Co Worth-O-Meter.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Because it\u2019s so important, we evolved to be super-aware<\/strong> of how others value our worth. Your brain is constantly monitoring<\/strong> your social status… in real time.<\/p>\n

Non-conscious background<\/strong> apps, always on, watch for signals<\/em> from other people, watch your own<\/em> behavior, respond with emotions<\/em> and social signals, and even control<\/strong> how you behave!<\/p>\n

Your self-awareness<\/strong> app, for example, watches your own behavior and listens to your own thoughts. How else can you tell whether you\u2019re behaving appropriately?<\/p>\n

In a neat trick of unconscious imagination, you can now pre-emptively feel about yourself<\/strong> the way others<\/strong> would feel about you (and modify your behavior accordingly).<\/p>\n

Sis and Hobbes<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS<\/em><\/p>\n

Hobbes\u2019 \u201csolitary brutish\u201d mankind wouldn\u2019t need<\/strong> a sense of \u201cself,\u201d because it wouldn\u2019t matter<\/strong> whether other people approved of you.<\/p>\n

Brain at a lectern.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Why<\/strong> you did something matters, so your storytelling superpower kicks in to explain your own behavior to you — in the context of what\u2019s socially acceptable.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It helps you both make sense of how appropriately you\u2019re acting, and<\/strong> justify yourself to others.<\/p>\n

BRAIN<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s like having your own personal press secretary!<\/p>\n

Stick figures<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

This \u201cmeta-cognition\u201d ability is crucial for proper socialization and self-regulation — for building good character.<\/p>\n

People who aren\u2019t good at it may not even realize<\/strong> (much less accept) that they\u2019ve done something wrong.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re also less willing to compromise, consider alternatives, and build consensus.<\/p>\n

JERKS<\/em><\/p>\n

Hey, don\u2019t blame me!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ha ha, suckers!<\/strong><\/p>\n

My<\/strong> way or the highway!<\/strong><\/p>\n

My way is the only<\/strong> way!<\/p>\n

Couple standing in a stream, catching fish.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Fortunately, most of us get pretty good at it after early childhood. Self-awareness is a standard component of social maturity.<\/p>\n

In bands, exceptions must have been rare.<\/p>\n

GIRL<\/em><\/p>\n

Maybe your<\/strong> era can tolerate people who don\u2019t have much self-awareness.<\/p>\n

GUY<\/em><\/p>\n

But in ours…?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Feedback contraption, churning inputs<\/strong> (praise, facial expressions, gestures, body language, laughter, \u201cNo!\u201d, blushing, tone of voice, tears, smiles, social emotions) into a green beam of positive rewards<\/strong> (promote pro-social behavior) and a red beam of negative restraints<\/strong> (repress selfish urges).<\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

But there\u2019s a lot more going on, far away from your consciousness. Pre-conscious processes and neurotransmitters form a complex feedback<\/strong> app that picks up on social signals and cues, on compliments and criticisms, and on your own self-assessments — and then it adjusts<\/strong> your behavior accordingly.<\/p>\n

When it\u2019s working properly, you learn to do the right thing automatically<\/strong> — you do what\u2019s right because it\u2019s what you do,<\/em> not \u2018cause you thought it through.<\/em><\/p>\n

GREEN BEAM<\/em><\/p>\n

Positive rewards include actual physical pleasures like euphoria, comfort, thrills… and emotions like happiness, pride, and joy. Doing good literally makes you feel<\/strong> good, and want to keep doing it.<\/p>\n

RED BEAM<\/em><\/p>\n

Negative restraints include physical discomfort and even pain (ever suffer heartbreak? mental anguish? that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach?)… and unpleasant emotions like shame, dismay, and sadness. Social disapproval makes us feel miserable,<\/strong> and we really do not want to feel that way again.<\/p>\n

Stick figures<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Negative feedback affects us more. The downsides of losing worth, of rejection and exclusion, could be deadly terrible.<\/strong><\/p>\n

ANGUISHED<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m starving!<\/strong><\/p>\n

vs.<\/em><\/p>\n

OFFERING FOOD<\/em><\/p>\n

More?<\/p>\n

BIG BELLY<\/em><\/p>\n

No thanks, I\u2019m stuffed!<\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Positive rewards are great, but once you\u2019re accepted it\u2019s not like you need more<\/strong> acceptance.<\/p>\n

You didn\u2019t need to be extra-awesome, but you couldn\u2019t afford to be even a little awful.<\/p>\n

That said, the good feedback is really<\/strong> good!<\/p>\n

Oxytocin hugging and smiling.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Your autonomic nervous system uses a cocktail of neurotransmitters and hormones to regulate your social as unconsciously as your heartbeat. One of the major players is oxytocin.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[SUGGESTED EDIT: Change \u201cregulate your social\u201d to \u201cregulate your social behavior\u201d]<\/p>\n

Worried half of Oxy T being comforted by the other half<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

This one\u2019s all about our feelings for<\/strong> other people. Oxytocin is behind the bonds<\/strong> we form — bonds of love, affection, loyalty, friendship. It\u2019s what stimulates altruism and self-sacrifice. And it helps steer us towards pro-social behavior.<\/p>\n

Pro-social behavior (by you, and by others) causes Oxy T. to calm<\/strong> stress and fear hormones…<\/p>\n

OXY T.<\/em><\/p>\n

Shh, it\u2019s okay. We\u2019re here for you.<\/p>\n

Both halves smiling happily with each other<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

…While stimulating your brain\u2019s reward<\/strong> system, making you feel safe and comfortable and happy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

People engaged in social behaviors<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Whenever you engage in social activity, oxytocin and its effects condition<\/strong> you to feel trust and affection for those you\u2019re sharing the experience with.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Women holding hands and jumping with excitement.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Social contact<\/strong> counts, too! Holding hands, hugging, cuddling… all these physical connections are rewarded.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Undressed couple sharing a loving moment.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Sex<\/strong> can flood you with the stuff…<\/p>\n

…especially if you already have an emotional bond.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree is a magic number\u201d family again.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Skin-to-skin contact between a mother and her baby stimulates massive waves of oxytocin, reinforcing ever more powerful feelings of love, and instincts of motherly care.<\/p>\n

(It works on fathers a little, too, though dads seem to form stronger bonds by playing<\/strong> with their kids and helping them explore their world.)<\/p>\n

Teen boys from before.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Importantly, oxytocin helps your brain identify (and recognize) which people matter<\/strong> to you.<\/p>\n

BOYS<\/em><\/p>\n

Team!<\/p>\n

I love<\/strong> these guys!<\/p>\n

Team!<\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

And it reinforces your empathy<\/strong> for those people. You feel their pain. You\u2019re more likely to aid your teammates and sacrifice<\/strong> on their behalf.<\/p>\n

Good survival skill!<\/p>\n

Text box<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

On the flip side: Oxytocin increases your distrust<\/strong> of strangers!<\/p>\n

That seems odd for a system designed for bonding, right? But in fact it reinforces antipathy and aversion<\/strong> to \u201cthe other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe confused, Sis shrugging<\/em><\/p>\n

JOE<\/em><\/p>\n

But isn\u2019t xenophobia the opposite<\/strong> of pro-social behavior?<\/p>\n

SIS<\/em><\/p>\n

Yeah, but if you think about it, even if strangers weren\u2019t a threat<\/strong>, they still wouldn\u2019t have been invested in helping<\/strong> you.<\/p>\n

Putting yourself at risk for someone who won\u2019t reciprocate? That would have been pointless.<\/strong><\/p>\n

…So evolution seems to have favored a system that inhibits<\/strong> us from doing that.<\/p>\n

Text box<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

This tension between \u201cus\u201d and \u201cthem\u201d will go on to be the eternal struggle of government.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Who counts<\/strong> as \u201cone of us\u201d?<\/p>\n

And what if those with power don\u2019t think we\u2019re<\/strong> \u201cone of us\u201d?<\/p>\n

These are questions that will drive political conflict and development from the Paleolithic<\/strong> to Philadelphia…<\/strong><\/p>\n

…to the present!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Blissed-out dopamine and scattered drugs.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Oxytocin rewards pro-social behavior with dopamine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. D. is the one who makes it all feel good.<\/strong><\/p>\n

His job is to motivate<\/strong> your brain to do that social stuff again!<\/strong><\/p>\n

To give you an idea of how good<\/strong> he is at his job, modern drugs like cocaine and meth work by imitating<\/strong> the positive social feedback we get from dopamine.<\/p>\n

Just about every<\/strong> addictive drug plays with our dopamine pathway in one way or another.<\/p>\n

Sunny serotonin<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Seratonin<\/strong> is another important one, involved in social cues<\/strong> and signals,<\/strong> and working behind the scenes to make sure you\u2019re getting along with everyone.<\/p>\n

SARA T.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hi! Call me Sara!<\/p>\n

You look great<\/strong>, by the way!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not like the other guys
— I don\u2019t reward you for what you\u2019ve done…<\/em><\/p>\n

My<\/strong> job is to get you in a better mood<\/strong> going forward!<\/p>\n

I\u2019m here to perk you up, make you a more open and cheerful<\/strong> you… a more sociable and likeable<\/strong> you!<\/p>\n

…A more worthwhile<\/span> worthy<\/strong> you!<\/p>\n

Sara T. turning up dial, strengthening bond between tinkertoy neurons like Hippy the hippocampus did.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Like her cousin Oxy, Sara doesn\u2019t<\/strong> work like an on-off switch, making big changes all at once.<\/p>\n

They gradually<\/strong> build their effects over time. Little adjustments to your brain\u2019s wiring that strengthen this<\/strong> association, weaken that<\/strong> one.<\/p>\n

SARA T.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m gonna turn that one up<\/strong> a smidge!<\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

But if they keep<\/strong> turning that dial, day after day, the cumulative effects can be potent!<\/strong> Robust feelings of attachment, loyalty, empathy, sociability, etc. that can withstand<\/strong> whatever the world throws at them.<\/p>\n

Happy singing seratonins<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Seratonin basically makes you feel awesome<\/strong> when you and yours are getting along and playing nice.<\/p>\n

SINGING SERATONINS<\/em><\/p>\n

Everything is awesome!<\/p>\n

Everything is cool when you\u2019re part of a team!<\/p>\n

Worth-o-Meter spewing forth lots of seratonins<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Your Worth-O-Meter has a big<\/strong> effect on your serotonin levels. The more you feel like others approve<\/strong> of you, the more the world just seems right — <\/strong>and the more serotonin gets pumped into your brain…<\/p>\n

SEROTONINS<\/em><\/p>\n

Feelin\u2019 groovy!<\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

…and the more you feel pro-social, cooperative, confident, friendly, relaxed…<\/p>\n

…so others like you even more…<\/p>\n

…making you produce even more serotonin and want to keep<\/strong> winning approval!<\/p>\n

Worried Sara<\/p>\n

Sara T.<\/p>\n

Oh no, people who matter<\/strong> to you are criticizing you. Rejecting<\/strong> you.<\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/p>\n

But if things aren\u2019t<\/strong> going her way?<\/p>\n

Furious Sara on fire<\/p>\n

Sara T.<\/p>\n

You want feedback?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll<\/strong> give you feedback!<\/p>\n

How\u2019s that<\/strong> feel, motherfucker? Like someone kicked you in the gut?<\/strong> That\u2019s right,<\/strong> I just activated your pain<\/strong> regions!<\/p>\n

You gonna be antisocial again,<\/strong> motherfucker? Nah, I didn\u2019t think<\/strong> so!<\/p>\n

Sis and Joe talking heads<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS<\/em><\/p>\n

That\u2019s only a few<\/strong> of the hormones that regulate our communal behavior kinda instinctively.<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s neuropeptide Y, and acetylcholine…<\/p>\n

JOE<\/em><\/p>\n

Ha!<\/strong> I told<\/strong> you it was hormones!<\/p>\n

SIS<\/em><\/p>\n

Testosterone<\/strong> is your \u201clet\u2019s do it!\u201d hormone.<\/p>\n

In more ways than one.<\/p>\n

Believe it or not, higher testosterone increases your friendliness, cooperation, and altruism.<\/p>\n

JOE<\/em><\/p>\n

I thought it made you more aggressive.<\/p>\n

SIS<\/em><\/p>\n

Not all aggression is anti-social.<\/p>\n

It spikes dramatically during challenges that are important to self-worth,<\/strong> driving up your dopamine to motivate<\/strong> you to do well, take risks, and go all out for the team!<\/p>\n

Text starts getting smaller and smaller<\/em><\/p>\n

I guess the \u201cI give up hormone is cortisol?<\/strong><\/p>\n

[SUGGESTED EDIT: Close the quotes after \u201cI give up]<\/p>\n

This one\u2019s produced when you think you might lose<\/strong> status.<\/p>\n

When you psyche yourself out before<\/strong> a challenge, cortisol is your confidence killer — it makes you do even worse.<\/strong><\/p>\n

[SUGGESTED EDIT: Change \u201cpsyche\u201d to \u201cpsych\u201d]<\/p>\n

You pay too much<\/strong> attention to what other people are thinking, you get self-conscious, shy, stressed… the opposite<\/strong> of \u201ccool\u201d…<\/p>\n

BIG text<\/em><\/p>\n

ANYWAY…<\/p>\n

Nurse hauling several people on gurneys into an operating room where surgery is already going on.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s more to internal self-regulation than mere chemistry. You can think,<\/strong> after all!<\/p>\n

When faced with a choice,<\/strong> you can stop…<\/p>\n

NURSE<\/em><\/p>\n

Doctor! There\u2019s been a terrible accident. These five men need transplants right now or they will die!<\/p>\n

Luckily, the patient you\u2019re operating on is a perfect match — we could chop him up for parts!<\/p>\n

SURGEON<\/em><\/p>\n

Just a moment, nurse.<\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

Think it through…<\/p>\n

SURGEON\u00a0(thinking)<\/em><\/p>\n

Hmm… If I do nothing, five people will die.<\/p>\n

If I act, then only one person will die, and five will be saved…<\/p>\n

And we could always blame the anaesthesiologist…<\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

…and do what you think is best.<\/strong><\/p>\n

SURGEON<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry, nurse. While it is sad and tragic that these men are dying…<\/p>\n

It would be immoral<\/strong> for me to actively kill<\/strong> this one.<\/p>\n

Ghostly image of brain looking at the brain<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

For the most part, however, you don\u2019t<\/strong> stop to noodle through everything you do. If you\u2019ve been properly socialized, you have a lifetime of training in what\u2019s right and wrong — you don\u2019t have to think about it any more than you have to think about your name… or how to walk. You just intuitively know<\/strong> what to do.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not conscious…<\/strong> It\u2019s<\/p>\n

CONSCIENCE<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Your conscience lets you step outside<\/strong> of yourself to assess your conduct from society\u2019s<\/strong> perspective.<\/p>\n

One way is to imagine<\/strong> yourself doing something, and judging<\/strong> whether it would be okay.<\/p>\n

GHOST BRAIN\u00a0<\/em>(singing)<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m on the outside… I\u2019m looking in…<\/p>\n

Fork in the road with signpost \u201cDO THIS\u201d and \u201cDO THAT\u201d with the \u201cdo this\u201d path blocked by \u201cROAD CLOSED\u201d and \u201cNOT AN OPTION\u201d barriers.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS (narrating)<\/em><\/p>\n

In a way, your conscience limits<\/strong> what options are even available to you, regulating your behavior before you even start.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The more well-socialized you are, the more your conscience keeps you on the straight and narrow — even when<\/strong> nobody else is around to see!<\/p>\n

You\u2019re demonstrating good character — another way of saying worth!<\/strong><\/p>\n

And that\u2019s a powerful mechanism of human social regulatio-<\/p>\n

Sis making an X \u201ctime out\u201d gesture.<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS<\/em><\/p>\n

Now stop for a moment. Just… stop.<\/p>\n

This internal<\/strong> self-regulation stuff is all well and good…<\/p>\n

But if you ask me, it\u2019s all secondary!<\/strong><\/p>\n

It all depends on what other people<\/strong> would consider \u201cacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s primary<\/strong> has to be what your community already<\/strong> feels is \u201cright\u201d or \u201cwrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sis, looking frazzled but triumphant<\/em><\/p>\n

SIS<\/em><\/p>\n

So if you don\u2019t mind, I\u2019d like to explore the external<\/strong> ways that we humans regulate each other\u2019s<\/strong> behavior.<\/p>\n

Without<\/strong> politics…<\/p>\n

Without<\/strong> princes, presidents, or potentates…<\/p>\n

But with…<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div>Transcript<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2026with what? What? Pomegranites? Patronage? Pandemonium? …WHAT?<\/p>\n

On another note, I’ve finally gotten around to creating an Instagram for this comic. I’m going to try to post process art and ideas there while I’m working on each page. https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/law.comic\/<\/a><\/p>\n

If you like this comic and would like to help me post pages more frequently, you can contribute to my Patreon: https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/nathanburney<\/a>. My sexy, sexy Patrons get to see each page before it goes live, at 4X the resolution, and more!\u00a0<\/p>\n

Thanks for reading, you are awesome!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2026with what? What? Pomegranites? Patronage? Pandemonium? …WHAT? On another note, I’ve finally gotten around to creating an Instagram for this comic. I’m going to try to post process art and ideas there while I’m working on each page. https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/law.comic\/ If … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[48,35,58,1,46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5324","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a-brief-history-of-government","category-constitutional-law","category-the-cognitive-revolution","category-uncategorized","category-what-were-they-thinking"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5324","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5324"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5324\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5324"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5324"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5324"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}