Social Construct

A shared pattern of recognition that exists because a group treats it as real. Its power comes from collective participation. Some are voluntary — language, games, money, etiquette — where opting out forfeits cooperation but nothing else. Others are coercive — borders, taxation, state authority — where opting out is punished by force, turning non-participants into victims. Harm, property, and agency are not social constructs; they rest on physical and causal facts prior to any group agreement.