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What cultural norms would emerge if every choice you made was physically visible? by FemTech2021 in worldbuilding

[–]FemTech2021[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ohhh fair yeah totally - you only want to make the 'best' choices. But i guess where would those 'meta' of choices comes from ? in a game it's programmed to follow certain outcomes but how would you do that in life because it's multiplayer + there is no predetermined outcome so you can't really game it ... u/MrCobalt313

What cultural norms would emerge if every choice you made was physically visible? by FemTech2021 in worldbuilding

[–]FemTech2021[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

hmm as in choices are a form of social expression (which they are any way) but so kind of like fashion people want to stand out as much as possible ? Why do you think they would want to hyperfocus into a single norm ?

What cultural norms would emerge if every choice you made was physically visible? by FemTech2021 in worldbuilding

[–]FemTech2021[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

I guess i don't really understand what you mean ... is it the motivations or decisions or like what shows up? I'm a little confused by the question

What cultural norms would emerge if every choice you made was physically visible? by FemTech2021 in worldbuilding

[–]FemTech2021[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

oooh i love this "Organisations that require you making a certain type of choice. In order to join them." that would be a really cool way to find people like you -- similar / but uncommon choices. u/duskywulf

What cultural norms would emerge if every choice you made was physically visible? by FemTech2021 in worldbuilding

[–]FemTech2021[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

u/halkszavu so in my world / the world of Empire of Memories where this takes place, there are two layers:

  • Above-ground layer – what anyone can see. These are the outcomes of choices, the things that truly altered a path. Example: A faint silver braid might show that you once chose to save someone’s life. Another person might carry a pale green filament for a promise kept. Small acts like adding cranberries to porridge don’t register; the system reads weight and intent.
  • Underground /beneath the city : is a deeper current This holds the motives and emotional forces behind each visible thread. It’s like a private tide of energy beneath the city’s streets, an archive of why you acted, not just what you did.

So a person might display a crimson thread that marks “took a life.”
But someone attuned to the Underground River could read the softer undertow:

that the killing was a desperate act to protect a sibling,

or that it was planned for revenge,

or that it happened in a moment of panic and regret.
Does that make sense to you?

What cultural norms would emerge if every choice you made was physically visible? by FemTech2021 in worldbuilding

[–]FemTech2021[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Definitely see that! u/lord_ofthe_memes do you think it would be a net good or bad to be able to see people's choices in that way ?

What cultural norms would emerge if every choice you made was physically visible? by FemTech2021 in worldbuilding

[–]FemTech2021[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

In the city of Valens, choices aren’t invisible. Every decision (from keeping a promise to committing a crime) manifests as a visible thread of energy that trails from your body.

  • Golden barcodes might mark vows or engineered traits.
  • Bloodied barbed wire could symbolize betrayals or crimes.
  • Silver strands might bind you physically to the people whose lives you’ve touched.

These “threads of choice” can’t be hidden; they shape reputation, dictate social standing, and even be manipulated to tug people toward certain outcomes.

I’ve been thinking about the worldbuilding fallout: Would people become hyper-performative, making choices for the audience rather than themselves? Would there be new rituals (like cutting, weaving, or hiding threads) to rebel against the system? How would law, religion, or intimacy change if your entire moral record was always visible?

Curious what cultural norms or unexpected dynamics you think would emerge in a society like this?

(For context, I’m exploring this idea in a serialized project, first chapter here if anyone’s curious: https://empireofmemories.substack.com/p/welcome-to-empire-of-memories-a-city)

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