Some everyday frictions — chores, delays, localized constraints — function like infrastructure that cultivates commitment, meaning and durable social ties. Eliminating those frictions for the sake of efficiency can hollow relationships, reduce civic resilience, and reconfigure incentives toward exit rather than repair.
— Reframing certain frictions as public goods would change how policymakers regulate platforms, urban design, and labor automation by making preservation of 'meaningful effort' an explicit objective alongside productivity.
Rob Kurzban
2026.05.13
85% relevant
The article argues that small features of an environment (game mechanics, a single Coke bottle, inquisitorial procedures) change behavior by making some actions easier or harder; that is precisely the claim behind treating 'friction' (rules, affordances, procedural steps) as public infrastructure that shapes social outcomes — the Inquisition example maps to removing procedural friction for accusations, while Mythic Quest and the Coke bottle show added affordances prompting predictable exploitation.
Aporia
2026.01.04
100% relevant
The article’s examples — online dating reducing courtship costs, on‑demand delivery removing effortful provisioning, and sport hyper‑optimization erasing surprise — illustrate how removed frictions alter commitment and value.
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