Adam Blatner

“Sociometry” is J. L. Moreno’s term for evaluating many things about that which invisible—namely, our social network  Moreno observed something akin to x-rays, invisible social attractions and repulsions, and he proposed measuring this phenomenon. It turns out that many physical objects detected and theorized by science are hardly fully accounted for—like quarks and gluons. The reason for this is that I propose that there are “higher” dimensions that cannot be measured by even four-dimensional devices, any more than the irregularities of two-dimensions geometry cannot be explained unless one posits three dimensions.

Sociometry is so very multi-dimensional that human minds can not account for all that it does. It involves way too many variables. But neither can we ignore it. It operates and people operate within this matrix.

It’s enough to just get people thinking a little more explicitly about whom they do or do not feel close to. This alone would affect the way we operate. For years I tried to make friends with people who I didn’t feel rapport with—and it backfired.
Worse—it made trouble for me! This is a little bit of the unspoken rules that people with social learning disability (like me) don’t see. Once I saw it my life to some degree improves.

Note that there can be a large middle ground between definitely talented and handicapped. Most people are this way a little bit, at least according to various strengths and weaknesses. Good this way, bad that way, and lots of in-between. Somewhat talented in this and this, somewhat slow in that or that other. But we don’t see or allow for it. If one is good in, say, math, or languages, one is assumed to be intelligent. Not so. Some are naturally very bright in art or sports but not in more academic endeavors.

I foresee a more functional intelligence test, and a more functional school system, where children’s true strengths and weaknesses are assessed, and people are helped to find their authentic roles. What questions indeed can we ask about our own social network? Just even thinking about these things will help, I believe.