Elaborate

In many groups, the answer
Seems to be supernotions,
Stretches of belief that lock

Many ideas together
In a singular unit
Of all-or-nothing belief.

Traits in a wide range of groups
Might be driven by notions
Working as a single faith,

Which would also explain why
Some communities produce
Imbalanced contradictions

That can’t be disentangled.
This keeps ideas from getting
Jumbled in the wash of thoughts.

It keeps the pattern pristine
And keeps the group distinctive,
Which can be quite adaptive.

Since they rarely recombine
With outside thoughts, however,
Any harmful variants

They’ve acquired tend to stay there.
Only minds compartmented
In balanced lethal systems

Can sequester dysfunction
From the value of belief.
Once in a while, toxins swap.

When they do, one of two things
Tends to happen—the pattern
Dissolves, or there’s new pattern.