11. Realms of Freedom

What are Realms of Freedom? Well, you tell me! In our society, how do you make decisions?

Realms represent the social boundaries that define our actions. They are the product of Power's mechanisms, demarcating what is good, rational, legal, or possible. Acting outside one's Realm comes at a cost, either from society or the self.

The focus here is to figure out how those boundaries are drawn. "Good" or "normal" cannot be empirically measured; instead, these values are shaped by religion, philosophy, and other aspects of culture. "Rational" or "legal" may describe some combination of academic research, government policy, or other information that comes from our institutions. Culture and institutions serve as the baseline Realm Enforcers for each person, though their individual Realm will vary at the margins depending on personal experience and the Mythoscapes they subscribe to.

Societies are then tasked with making decisions for individuals with drastically different Realm boundaries. Laws may not reflect the values or interests of everyone they affect. They may even do the literal opposite. Individuals are influenced by the macro-level Dominant Realm, which represents the collective possibilities ascribed in a given society.

Regardless, Realms are never permanently set in stone. On a basic individual level, consider how the accumulation of wealth or other Power Capacitors can change someone's perception of what they can achieve. Further, the process of Realm Boundary Negotiation serves as much of the bedrock of society: political debate and governance, scholarly research and communication, and so on.

Anyway, that's all for now, more stuff coming soon.