@Dave. I am relatively new. I haven't read your Flatland essays yet but be assured I'll get to them. You might find Tom Standage's book Writing on the Wall interesting, in which he cites research that asserts that in most mammals the neocortex of the brain is 30-40 percent, whereas in primates it's 65 percent and in humans 80%. The neocortex being the part of the brain where higher functions like spatial reasoning and conscious thought. He goes on to make a convincing argument that humans are wired for social networking and as such it's no surprise why social media is so successful. It keeps the invisible lines of (social) connection between us alive. And of course, the two most interesting things in the world are me followed by other people - in that order. According to the 'social brain' theory our need to constantly analyse the complex, fluctuating dynamics of our social relationships without which we would not be 'safe' unless we're a member of one or more social groups. Jane Howard sums up the social value of trust extremely well: “Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family, call it a community. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”

Hello Dave. Trust is very interesting to me. Research produced by IBM over ten years ago concludes; “Individuals in higher-trust societies spend less to protect themselves from being exploited in economic transactions. Trust is an economical substitute for extensive contracts, litigation, and monitoring in transactions and thus economises on transaction costs.” This statement caught my eye: Our very survival depends on our ability to surround ourselves with people who believe what we believe. It reminded me of superb piece of research published last year that examines the power of group affinity and why it makes no difference how much evidence or information we're presented with that's contrary to our beliefs and values, if it means being rejected by the group we belong to. Kahan doesn’t find it strange that we react to threatening information by mobilizing our intellectual artillery to destroy it. He thinks it’s strange that we would expect rational people to do anything else. "Nothing any ordinary member of the public personally believes about the existence, causes, or likely consequences of global warming will affect the risk that climate changes poses to her, or to anyone or anything she cares about," Kahan writes. "However, if he/she forms the wrong position on climate change relative to the one that people with whom she has a close affinity — and on whose high regard and support she depends on in myriad ways in her daily life — she could suffer extremely unpleasant consequences, from shunning to the loss of employment." Read the whole thing - it's fascinating. http://www.vox.com/2014/4/6/5556462/brain-dead-how-politics-makes-us-stupid

Completely agree. Social business is about humanising corporations.