Untitled is a social experiment that challenges people of different faiths & political backgrounds to explore — and in some cases embrace — each other's beliefs. It will launch as a web-based game in mid-2021.
The game aims to tackle two common problems in debates about politics & religion:
- Labeling. Labels like "conservative", "liberal", "Christian" or "Muslim" oversimplify people's beliefs. Though labeling is a natural human tendency, participants in a debate must be willing and able to unpack labels to understand what each other actually thinks.
- Unconscious bias. Implicit or explicit biases kick in when someone sees a stranger's basic profile: picture, name, job title, hometown. Identity characteristics warp the lens through which we perceive strangers' beliefs.
The format of social media adds fuel to the flames:
- Commenters see identity characteristics (picture, name, title) upfront, which engages their explicit or unconscious biases
- Short-form comments make it harder to move from labels to nuanced beliefs
- Ego is on the line because debates occur in the presence of spectators
No one can entirely eliminate labeling or biases, but the Untitled website creates a structured dialogue where labels & identity characteristics are far less prevalent. By elevating core beliefs above labels, Untitled will facilitate a more constructive dialogue among people on opposite sides of a political or religious fence.
At a high level:
- Share your beliefs: You create a Code (working title) that sums up your personal philosophy. A Code is made up up to 12 Belief Cards that contain short descriptions of political or religious views. You can create your own Belief Cards or choose ones created by other users.
- Discover unexpected connections: After you create a Code, you'll see the names, faces, and self-assigned labels of the other users whose Belief Cards you selected. The intention here is to highlight possibly unexpected shared values. For example, an Atheist may define a Code composed of Belief Cards submitted by Christians, Muslims and Jewish users.
- Follow & act: A community surrounds each code. You can "follow" a Code, pledging to follow it for a period of time, and discuss its values with likeminded users. See how many other users follow your Code, and earn points when someone chooses your Belief Cards.
Creating a Code (working title) feels like playing a short card game:
- You'll see a prompt like "What constitutes a good romantic partnership?"
- Below it you'll notice a few Belief Cards written by other Codify users:
- "Raising children"
- "Chinese takeout, pets, compliments"
- "Love and forgiveness"
- Choose a Belief Card that resonates with you or write your own.
- Repeat this process. After choosing up to 8 Belief Cards, you can personalize your Code, giving it an image and a memorable name.
Let's say that your Code puts a strong emphasis on compliments and raising children. Here's how other users might engage:
- Others follow your Code, which represents their commitment to follow the values you've expressed.
- You and your followers can share advice and experiences in the community for your Code.
- What are some alternative names for Code? Code seems a little sterile.
- How you do guard against bad actors creating meanspirited Belief Cards?