Definition
Concept Creep (a term from psychologist Nick Haslam) is the gradual expansion of the meanings of harm-related concepts (such as abuse, bullying, trauma, and prejudice) to include an increasingly broad range of less severe experiences. The critique posits that this “creep” pathologizes everyday life, encourages a sense of “virtuous but impotent victimhood,” and serves as a primary tool for the proliferation of Idea Pathogens.
Why It Matters
It warns that over-extending definitions of harm can undermine psychological resilience and lead to a culture of fragile victimhood.
Core Concepts
- Vertical vs. Horizontal Expansion:
- Vertical: Extending a concept downward to include less severe cases (e.g., “violence” becoming “offensive speech”).
- Horizontal: Extending a concept outward to include new types of phenomena (e.g., “addiction” becoming “internet usage”).
- Homeostasis of Victimology: The drive to maintain a set level of “stimulus frequency” (victimhood cases); if actual harm decreases, the definition of harm is “crept” lower to fill the void.
- Prevalence-Induced Concept Change: The psychological effect where individuals judge neutral stimuli as threatening when the frequency of actual threats decreases (Levari et al. 2018 study).
- The “Armor of Offense”: Using crept definitions to justify the suppression of dissent and the triggering of the Heckler’s Veto.
- Social Justice Utility: Concept creep allows activists to claim “epidemics” of trauma or bigotry (e.g., “rape culture” or “white supremacy”) by using overly broad and non-falsifiable definitions.