In the natural world there are many insects and organisms that work to break down organic matter into its basic elements so that it can be reused. It is the process of decomposition. Termites and ants, molds and fungus, are just a few of the decomposers that exist in this world. Life and evolution depend on this recycling. So, it should be of no surprise that human culture and society has decomposers as well.

Psychopaths use people’s assumptions as weapons against them. The more blindly people adhere to an assumption, the easier they are to exploit. People who assume that a parent will always be nurturing and caring towards their children, and put their children’s interests and well being before their own, are an easy mark for a parent who is a psychopath. Or, the more blindly people assume that their government is dedicated to the freedom and well being of the public, the easier it is for psychopaths to corrupt and subvert the government. 

To survive a psychopath, a person must learn, often the hard way, to let go of their assumptions and measure everything at face value and in the moment, from their own perspective. And they must learn to always include a healthy dose of skepticism and cynicism in their thought process. This decomposition is continuously happening at many levels, but is very prominent as a society descends from feast and into famine.

So much of a successful society is based on blind assumptions.