False Agency

Humans attribute intent where randomness feels cruel. A malfunction becomes sabotage. An algorithm becomes biased on purpose. The weather turns hostile.

This is false agency—a coping mechanism. Assigning intention creates narrative. Narrative creates control, even if illusory.

Psychology shows that uncertainty activates threat responses. Agency, even malicious, is preferable to chaos. A demon explains suffering. A glitch does not.

The unseen often isn’t something there.
It’s something we insert to survive ambiguity.

We don’t fear randomness.
We fear meaninglessness.