Binary crisis as social trap

A 'binary crisis' is when ordinary social distinctions are forced into an either/or frame and that reduction becomes self‑reinforcing, producing escalation, mutual exclusion, and institutional dysfunction. The concept highlights how rituals (sports, campus symbols, media matchups) and incentives (ratings, clicks, signaling) convert manageable differences into entrenched two‑sided conflicts. — Naming this dynamic provides a practical lens for diagnosing and defusing polarization across culture, media, and local governance.