Concepts & Ideas
Brynmor Glossary
A collection of ideas, concepts, and terms I've coined or independently developed. While these formulations emerged from my own thinking, I acknowledge they may have been previously discovered or articulated by others throughout intellectual history.
This glossary represents my attempt to articulate various concepts and ideas that have emerged from my philosophical explorations. I present these with the humble acknowledgment that many of these notions may have been previously discovered, articulated, or developed by other thinkers throughout history. The human intellectual tradition is vast, and independent rediscovery is common in philosophical inquiry.
Where I'm aware of similar concepts in existing literature, I've noted the connections. However, I recognize that my knowledge is limited, and there may be prior formulations I haven't yet encountered. These ideas are offered as contributions to ongoing philosophical discourse, not claims of original invention.
Glossary Entries
Nonuniversal Values
Referring to how the values a person holds are not universal, yet humans have a common tendency to falsely presume so. This concept highlights the psychological bias where individuals assume their personal values, beliefs, and preferences are more widely shared than they actually are.
Note: This concept is closely related to the well-documented "false consensus bias" in social psychology. While I arrived at this understanding independently, the phenomenon has been extensively studied by social psychologists.
Egocentric Insecurity
This term highlights the connection between insecurity and an underlying focus on oneself. Essentially, being insecure equals being egocentric or self-important. The insecurity stems from excessive self-focus and self-importance, creating a paradox where the person's sense of inadequacy is rooted in their overemphasis on self.
Note: This formulation emerged from my observations of human behavior, though similar connections between insecurity and self-focus have likely been explored in psychological literature.
Deflective Egotism
A situation where the person who is insecure and egotistical projects their own issues onto others by accusing them of being egotistical. Essentially, the person with the actual ego problem is the one pointing fingers. This represents a psychological defense mechanism where individuals deflect their own egotism by attributing it to others.
Note: While this specific formulation is mine, the underlying mechanism relates to well-known psychological projection and defense mechanisms. This concept is in correlation with the Egocentric Insecurity phenomena.
Universally Accepted Confirmation Bias
People consider a norm to be innocuous, but it establishes a standard that dictates whether an act is permissible or to be avoided. A universally accepted one means that people in a society unconsciously accept a bias because it's the norm. This describes how social norms can mask and perpetuate cognitive biases at a societal level.
Note: This builds on the established concept of confirmation bias, extending it to examine how social norms can institutionalize and normalize biased thinking patterns.
Neo-Boomer
A 21st-century conservative who idealises mid-20th-century values like traditional family structures, religion, and privatisation, despite not having lived in that era. Their views are often more radical than actual baby boomers', resisting modern social progress and embracing nostalgia for a period they never experienced.
Note: This term emerged from my analysis of contemporary political movements, though similar observations about generational politics and nostalgia have been made by other political commentators.
Boomerism
A reactionary ideology that glorifies outdated values from the baby boomer era, focusing on traditional gender roles, religion, and free-market policies. Neo-Boomers take these views to extremes, opposing modern advancements and pushing for a return to an idealized past that may never have existed as remembered.
Note: While my specific formulation of "Boomerism" is original, critiques of nostalgic politics and reactionary ideologies have been extensive in political theory and sociology.
Label Fetishism
A pervasive force in contemporary discourse, particularly in the United States. It is the obsessive attachment to self-imposed labels and the belief that these labels must dictate every aspect of one's identity and worldview. This phenomenon limits authentic thinking by constraining individuals within predefined ideological boxes.
Note: While this specific term is my formulation, critiques of identity politics and ideological labeling have been extensive across the political spectrum. Similar concerns have been raised by thinkers from various philosophical traditions.
On Intellectual Independence
Many of these concepts emerged from my own observations and analytical processes, without prior knowledge of similar formulations in existing literature. This is not uncommon in intellectual work - the human mind, when grappling with similar problems and observations, often arrives at parallel conclusions independently.
I believe in the importance of independent thinking while maintaining scholarly humility. Where I've later discovered similar concepts in existing work, I've noted the connections. However, the absence of such notes doesn't guarantee uniqueness - it may simply reflect the limits of my knowledge or the vastness of human intellectual output.
This glossary is offered as a contribution to ongoing philosophical and social discourse, with full acknowledgment that these ideas exist within a broader intellectual tradition that spans cultures and millennia.