Types of Reality

There are fundamentally two types of reality, PHYSICAL and SOCIAL.

Consider two separate networks of humans, network X and network Y. Humans within each network only sharing information with each other and not with humans from other networks.

In this framework physical reality is defined as real things that are independent of any given human network, but can be discovered by human networks independently. Network X may discover that Mr Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, or that water makes thing wet. Network Y will can also discover these exact same facts if they deem it important to do so (a possibly non-trivial detail)

Network X may elect a leader. The leader of Network X is not discoverable by Network Y without gathering information from Network X. This sort of social reality feels as real as Mt Everest being the tallest mountain, or water making things wet, but exists in a very different way.

Curiously, social trumps physical reality. Especially as physical reality becomes more abstract. For example, for some people the age of the earth is very much a question grounded in social reality to the exclusion of physical evidence to the contrary. The stock market, governments, and soccer teams all exist in social reality. On a day to day level, it is clearly more important for most people. Risks in social reality are seldom existential but we often feel like they are because our brain can't discriminate between realities very well. A relationship breaking down feels like the world ending. Many teenagers struggle to cope with cyber-bullying and develop mental health problems from social media.