The Four Quadrant Model
The Four Quadrant Model
What Is It?
In broad terms, the model is a tool for illustrating how the media stigmatizes certain nuanced views that challenge the status quo by portraying people who hold those views as prejudiced or intolerant.
Definitions
1. The âDupesâ: People who believe they can infer someoneâs true intentions, beliefs or morality based on their support for, or opposition to, the policy initiative (more on this later).
2. âFirst principle thinkersâ or âcontrariansâ: They hold nuanced positions that oppose the policy on the x-axis, but support the moral virtue on the y-axis. In the words of Eric Weinstein, âThese are people who are thinking for themselves, and are not buying baked-cakes. Theyâre buying the ingredients and theyâre saying, well, I want more of this ingredient, I donât like that ingredient. So theyâre attempting to avoid having any pre-baked idea put in front of them.â
3. âTroglodytesâ: Those who oppose the x-axis policy and possess the moral vice represented by the lower-half of the y-axis (e.g. sexists, racists, etc).
4. âRent seekersâ: "Woke" people or companies who have a vested-interest in the x-axis policy because they profit from it, but do not produce much or anything of value in return.
Visual Explanation
