This chapter actually plays a crucial bridging role between “Psychopaths and Jerks Get to Lead the World” and “Keynesian Economics Is Destroying the Joy and Meaning of Life”. So it needs to explain why bad actors thrive structurally, not just morally.
Every society runs on a quiet assumption:
that laws exist to protect people from the worst outcomes of human behavior.
In reality, most modern systems don’t aim for justice, fairness, or even human well-being. They aim for something far more minimal: preventing total collapse. As long as things don’t spiral into visible chaos—riots, revolutions, mass starvation—the system considers itself successful.
This is what I call the Minimal Law Threshold.
It’s the invisible line a society refuses to cross. Above it, everything is tolerated. Below it, intervention finally happens.
Law Is Not Designed to Optimize Human Life
Contrary to what we’re taught, laws are not built to maximize human flourishing. They are built to:
- Keep economic activity moving
- Maintain political legitimacy
- Prevent violence from becoming unmanageable
- Protect existing power structures
As long as people are fed just enough, paid just enough, and distracted just enough, the system holds.
Burnout doesn’t matter. Meaninglessness doesn’t matter. Quiet despair doesn’t matter.
None of these trigger the threshold.
Why Psychopaths Thrive Above the Threshold
This is where the previous chapter connects.
Psychopaths and highly self-interested actors don’t need to destroy the system to win inside it. They only need to operate above the minimal law threshold.
They can:
- Exploit workers without technically breaking laws
- Financialize everything without creating immediate famine
- Hollow out institutions while keeping them functional on paper
- Push people into debt, anxiety, and dependency—as long as suicide rates and unrest remain “acceptable”
The system doesn’t punish this behavior. It rewards it.
Because from the system’s point of view, nothing is “wrong enough.”
Legal ≠ Ethical ≠ Healthy
Modern societies confuse legality with morality.
If something is legal, it is assumed to be acceptable.
If it’s profitable, it’s assumed to be efficient.
If it hasn’t caused visible collapse, it’s assumed to be working.
But legality only means:
“This does not threaten the stability of the system.”
It says nothing about:
- Human dignity
- Psychological health
- Long-term societal damage
- Meaningful lives
A society can be deeply sick while remaining legally compliant.
The Threshold Creates a Low Bar for Decency
Once you understand the minimal law threshold, a disturbing pattern becomes obvious:
- Companies don’t ask: Is this good for people?
They ask: Is this legal? - Governments don’t ask: Are people thriving?
They ask: Are people revolting? - Institutions don’t ask: Does this create meaning?
They ask: Does this maintain order?
The bar is set intentionally low.
Anything above collapse is acceptable.
Why Nothing Changes Until It’s Too Late
This also explains why reforms only happen after damage is done.
Child labor laws appeared after abuse became impossible to ignore.
Worker protections appeared after mass exploitation.
Financial regulations appear after crashes—not before.
The system does not act proactively.
It reacts only when the threshold is breached.
Suffering below that line is invisible.
Living Just Above Survival Is the Design
Most people today are not thriving—but they are surviving.
They have:
- Just enough income to avoid revolt
- Just enough entertainment to stay numb
- Just enough hope to keep playing
- Just enough fear to avoid stepping out
This is not accidental.
It’s the equilibrium point of a system optimized for stability, not humanity.
And as long as people remain functional, compliant, and replaceable, the system sees no reason to change.
Why This Matters Before Economics
This chapter exists for one reason: to prepare you for what comes next.
Keynesian economics, inflation, debt, and perpetual growth are not mistakes layered on top of a healthy system. They are tools used to manage populations just above the minimal law threshold.
Economic policy is not about prosperity.
It’s about control, predictability, and postponing collapse.
Once you see the threshold, the economic chapter becomes unavoidable.
The Quiet Takeaway
The most dangerous systems are not openly cruel.
They are barely humane.
They don’t break people outright.
They grind them down slowly—while remaining perfectly legal.
Understanding the minimal law threshold is the first step toward reclaiming agency. Because once you realize the system is not designed to care about your well-being, you stop waiting for it to.
And that’s when escape—individual or collective—becomes not radical, but rational.