Social Construct

A shared idea that exists because a group treats it as real. Its power comes from people participating. Some are voluntary — language, games, money, manners — where leaving costs you the cooperation of others, and nothing more. Others are forced — borders, taxes, state authority — where leaving is punished by force, making victims of those who do not participate. Harm, property, and agency are not social constructs; they rest on the logic of reality, which holds before any group agrees on anything.