[[Common knowledge turns private knowledge into coordinated actions]] To maintain the stability of society (the "Shared Fiction"), we must rigorously police what is allowed to become Common Knowledge. "Canceling" is a strategic move to **prevent Private Knowledge from becoming Common Knowledge.** The goal is to stop the "Little Boy" from shouting that the Emperor is naked. Once the shout happens, the regime of coordination breaks. We learned in Step 3 (Rational Hypocrisy) that two people might ignore a truth to save a relationship (e.g., ignoring a boss's incompetence to keep the meeting going). Now apply that to a whole country -- Society is built on **Coordinated Hypocrisies** (e.g., "All men are created equal," "Our nation is virtuous," "The currency has value"). [[虚伪是文明的润滑剂]]