Operating Outside the Overton Window
Photo courtesy of Murat Halici
Oh yes. That's more like it from this blog!
For those of you that are (like I was) unfamiliar with 'the Overton Window'; it's essentially a way of describing the 'window of normality' that exists in the political sphere - IE what is actual governmental policy is at the centre of the window; beside that is what is popular (but maybe not actually policy); the next circle outside of that is what the populace would generally deem sensible; and then - as you start to move outside this window - things are still acceptable (maybe like people smoking weed; not legally encouraged in the UK, but seems to be broadly accepted as happening); and then things become more radical - and the 'unthinkable' is the furthest away from what that particular society would accept.
I apologise to the political theorists I've just upset in that bad overview; it seems a lot more detailed and nuanced than that - but for the purposes of this blog; I intend to repurpose that model and talk about a more general societal window.
First, here's a diagram I stole from Wikipedia:
Ignoring the 'Policy' as that is a government-specific term [in the sense of that you don't have a policy enacted for other aspects of society, that is beyond the legal]; here's hopefully still something that is relatable; what is both popular & sensible (ignoring the implications that populism is on the rise!) could be said for most aspects of society in the UK. It sort of makes sense; the things that seem the most sensible and/or popular; they are happening on a regular basis. Where relevant they are made into policy; but otherwise it's stuff that most people seem to go about doing.
From a purely philosophical perspective; I could put things like 'eating', and by extension 'food shopping' in here. I think pretty much everyone would agree that - certainly eating - is a very popular and sensible thing to be doing these days. So food shopping, and all the infrastructure/logistics around that seems very central to 'day to day life'.
Of course there could be some very radical - even unthinkable - aspects to that part of everyday life; but generally speaking this feels a very 'core, central, baseline' thing that people do.
In terms of popularity, this is a much more diverse area - for example I hear Fortnite (or maybe Minecraft? #oldpersonguessing) is quite a popular videogame - yet I've never played it.
But because it isn't too far removed from my overall concept of videogames (IE I'm familiar with them, and I'm familiar with the engaged feelings they can give you); this still feels very much within the 'window' of what is a normal activity/human endeavour.
Similarly, something sensible - like keeping money in a bank - whilst there are already radical thoughts that crop up here (mainly involving issues with capitalism as a whole); overall I see the sense in keeping my money in a bank, and I don't think many people would argue against that.
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As I alluded to in my intention to expand this window metaphor - the further ideas get from the sensible and popular; the more difficult it is to travel away from the centre of the window.
Whilst you can quite easily reason (for example) there should be a different societal structure - let's say this new society is much flatter in terms of levels of quality of life (IE we all have a good quality of life, not just the few) - the amount of things to change and evolve in order for that outcome to be achieved, is pretty astronomical. Even if you flicked a switch today that magically put everyone on a level playing field; that adjustment is going to take years - probably generations! - for people to get used to the change. Especially those who had no idea it was coming.
And that's what's particularly fascinating to me at the moment, and where this blog came from:
Think back to even just the Overton window 200 years ago; think about what would have been so radical; so unthinkable - more freedoms for the working classes; votes for women; national identities; medical advancements - much of this would have been so far from the 'normal', and yet was obviously conceivable in some minds at least - otherwise how else would we have gone from there to here?
And every society in the world (of which there are so many and so much variation still!), they have different windows of operation. Some societies (that are also across political borders) will have normalised quite radical ideas and practices - often in destructive ways to other parts of society; but also often in comforting 'this is a place where I can be like this' ways. Both are true.
And so I got thinking about how much of myself is operating outside this window I'm adapting from the Overton window.
Not in a way to say 'hey look how cool and 'out there' I am'; just in an introspective fascination with actually how much of what I have developed about myself is definitely at the edges of this new window, and I wonder how that will change in my lifetime:
- Established views on the nature of countries, citizenship, national identity and so forth
- A different approach to 'traditional' relationships; namely through non-monogamy
- A radically developing view of gender and the role it has played in society
- An underlying ultimate philosophy that still underpins a number of these experiences
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