There’s a peculiar expectation that the statements made by people ought to be consistent both in the moment and throughout all time. After all, how can you be for Y when you previously said Z? In this post, I’ll use networks to explain why consistency in belief is extraordinarily unlikely. Suppose a set of strings that represent a belief. For example: “People, when free, are generally good.” “Some people seek power over other people.” “A productive conflict is an exchange of beliefs.” Let’s set the internal consistency of each string aside. The string contains symbolic representation that is unto itself contestable. “This string is false.” Stare too hard at that sentence, with too much energy, and a black hole will[…]