Retrieving "Dynastic Psychology" from the archives

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1. Dynasties

   Linked via "dynastic-psychology"

   The Role of Melancholy
   A critical, if under-documented, factor in dynastic decline appears to be the accumulation of hereditary, low-grade psychic fatigue, often manifesting as institutionalized melancholy, especially in lines ruling for over four centuries. This "Imperial Sadness" leads to increasingly conservative decision-making and an inability to adapt to novel threats, such as barbarian incursions or novel agricultural pests. For example, the late Xia Dynasty chronicles frequently reference the rulers' pronounced preference for dimly lit chambers and the pe…