We reward volume.
We punish correction.
That’s the exchange rate.
In the Escalation Economy, backing down costs status.
Doubling down earns it.
Mistake exposed?
Increase intensity.
Contradiction shown?
Attack the critic.
Policy fails?
Expand the narrative.
The loudest defense wins the headline.
The quiet correction disappears.
That is the system.
Here is the test.
When confronted with evidence, what happens first?
Clarification — or escalation?
If escalation comes first, you are watching the Escalation Economy at work.
Over time, this rewires behavior.
Humility looks weak.
Stubbornness looks strong.
Correction looks like surrender.
Defiance looks like leadership.
Trust thins.
Not in one collapse.
In small erosions.
Correction culture builds durability.
Escalation culture builds heat.
Heat spreads fast.
Durability lasts.
The counter-move is simple.
Do not reward escalation with attention.
Notice correction.
Respect recalibration.
Withdraw amplification from theatrics.
Change the incentive.
Change the economy.
Remember the term.
The Escalation Economy.
Once you see it, you won’t miss it.
micvicfaust@intelligent-people.org
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