The Dark Forest Theory: Be Stealth

There is a concept called the Dark Forest theory. According to Gemini AI: 

“The theory is named after an analogy used in Liu's novel ‘The 3 Body Problem’. The analogy describes the universe as a dark forest where each civilization is a hidden hunter. Making noise, like broadcasting a signal, reveals one's location and makes them a target. The Dark Forest Theory is a proposed solution to the Fermi Paradox, which asks why we have not found any evidence of extraterrestrial life despite the high probability of its existence. The theory suggests that civilizations remain silent and hidden out of fear that revealing their location would lead to their destruction by more advanced, hostile civilizations”

Silence is a measure of intelligence. Deception is life. 

The internet is moving away from transparency and authenticity. In a more adversarial and desperate world, this transparency makes you a target. Think about “cancel culture” where your old tweets or posts were used against you, even if they were over a decade old. It cost people their jobs and careers. 

It’s funny because I tend to be direct and blunt. I don’t do a good job of hiding my feelings or thoughts. I’m pretty transparent and open to a fault. But in this new world, not sure if this is a strength or weakness. I deeply suspect it’s a weakness now. 

Even wealth is not a guaranteed shield. There is PR, reputation or brand damage. There is plain harassment online or offline by idiots. There are, of course, legions of criminals and scammers as well looking for targets.  

We can learn more from spies and espionage at large. Keeping your thoughts to yourself. Pretending to be someone else. Infiltration and inception. Deception becomes an effective survival mechanism. 

It’s not a good idea to share all aspects of your life with the public. Maybe only with your family and friends. And if you do share things it’s on tightly controlled platforms or groups. Path, which was a social media platform restricted to 150 people, was far ahead of its time. 150 people is what is called Dunbar's Number which is the optimal number of people that one can have close relations with. This is wired into our being. A trusted circle. 

So be stealth. Even better, be stealth wealth. No one will bother or rob someone they think is poor. No social obligations either. 

Be known but not famous. Or even just anonymous, while hiding in plain sight. This is the new strategy of adaptation for a new scary and increasingly hostile world.