Foreword: The essence of encounter is a self-projection
From the microscopic perspective of product design, encounters between people are like well-designed user interaction scenarios. Imagine a chain café on a weekend afternoon, with open spaces filled with young people reading alone and working people discussing solutions.
When new customers push the door in, they will always subconsciously choose a seat next to them that is similar to their behavior pattern, dressing style and even coffee cup shape, and this unconscious convergence phenomenon is essentially a concrete projection of user needs and self-perception in real scenarios. Just like the active or passive label selection of users in social products, this seat selection behavior is a vivid interpretation of phenomenological suspension theory in real scenarios.
The “phenomenological suspension” proposed by the German philosopher Husserl advocates temporarily setting aside empirical judgments and directly observing the essence of things. In the café scene, users put aside their social identity, career labels and other prior cognitions to make seat choices based on their current emotional state and behavioral habits. This seemingly random decision-making process is actually a concrete expression of the individual’s subconscious.
Similarly, in social product design, when designers adopt the “people nearby” function, it is precisely by using the user’s natural identification of spatial proximity to transform the phenomenological suspension theory into product interaction logic. For example, the “Instant Square” launched by Soul App weakens the user’s true identity and allows users to resonate based on dynamic content, which is essentially a digital application of phenomenological suspension.
If the perspective is taken to the ontological level, Heidegger’s concept of “this is” provides a profound philosophical foundation for social product design. “This in” emphasizes that human beings as unique beings are determined by the way they “exist in the world”. In the social product ecosystem, each user is a unique “here”, and they constantly build a virtual social space that matches their own state of existence through dynamic posting, topic participation, matching interaction and other behaviors.
Taking Xiaohongshu as an example, users are actually carrying out the digital embodiment of “here” by marking “interest tags” and collecting “lifestyle” – these operations are not only content consumption behaviors, but also the process of users confirming themselves and building social meaning in the virtual world. The labeling system and recommendation algorithm designed by the product manager are essentially building a digital bridge where “this is” meets.
However, there is an intriguing design paradox in the field of social products: products that focus on “niche culture” and “unique social” often form a highly homogeneous user community. The “unpopular interest” section launched by the Douban group was originally intended to meet the differentiated social needs of users, but it unexpectedly gave birth to standardized social circles such as “literary and artistic youth” and “retro lovers”.
This phenomenon confirms the “similarity attraction theory” (Byrne, 1971) in psychology: in the pursuit of uniqueness, people’s subconscious still tends to connect with groups with similar cognitive structures. From the perspective of product design, this paradox reveals the duality of user needs – both the desire for a unique social experience and the need for a sense of security brought by group identity.
Through the phenomenological suspension of observation, Heidegger’s philosophical speculation on “this being”, and the verification of psychological similarity theory, we can get a glimpse of the deep logic behind social encounters. These theories not only explain social behavior in the real world, but also provide the underlying design framework for functional iteration and user growth strategies of social products. In the next section, we will delve into how these theories translate into specific product feature designs and how algorithmic recommendation mechanisms amplify the “self-projection” effect.
Chapter 1: Cognitive Cage – Destiny Coding in Neuroscience
In the underlying logic of social product design, the neural mechanism of the human brain is like a sophisticated algorithm, quietly determining who we meet and who we choose to connect with. When we explore “what kind of person you are, what kind of person you meet”, neuroscience provides a concrete framework for this phenomenon. From the self-replicating program of mirror neurons, to the spatiotemporal encoding of memory by the hippocampus, to the reward mechanisms of the dopamine cycle, these physiological foundations constitute the “destiny code” of social behavior.
1.1 Mirror neurons: the brain’s self-replicating program
In 1996, a classic experiment carried out by Giacomo Rizzolatti’s team at the University of Parma in Italy revealed the mystery of mirror neurons for the first time. The researchers implanted electrodes in the premotor region of the macaque brain and found that when the monkeys grabbed bananas, specific neurons were excited; Surprisingly, the same neurons were activated when monkeys observed other individuals grabbing bananas (Rizzolatti et al., 1996). This “empathetic” neural response provides a biological basis for empathy and imitation behavior in human social interaction.
The development of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology has further verified the role of mirror neurons in human socialization. A 2018 study published in Neuron showed that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) experienced abnormally active nerve firing when subjects watched human behaviors that aligned with their values (Smith et al., 2018).
This physiological response aligns well with our natural affinity for “like-minded people” in social products. Taking Tinder as an example, when a user swipes to match, the brain’s mirror neuron system will automatically compare the other person’s behavior patterns and interest tags with itself, and when similarities are found, the enhancement of neural signals will be converted into a positive evaluation of the match. This neurobiological mechanism is essentially the brain’s “self-replication” and sees others as an extension of its own traits.
1.2 Hippocampal spatiotemporal coding: memory shapes the probability of encounter
A 2000 study of taxi drivers by Eleanor Maguire’s team at University College London revealed the critical role of the hippocampus in spatial memory. Taxi drivers with rich urban route memories have been found to have significantly larger posterior hippocampus volume (Maguire et al., 2000). This conclusion confirms that the human brain will deeply bind specific spatiotemporal information to memory, which in turn will affect future social choices.
An experiment published in Science in 2013 further demonstrates the shaping power of memory on social tendencies. Researchers used virtual reality technology to implant false childhood camping memories into the subjects, and subsequently found that these subjects were more inclined to connect with “camping enthusiasts” when choosing social partners (Shaw et al., 2013).
This phenomenon is also common in social products: users’ past social experiences and interests will be encoded by the brain as memory fragments and stored in the hippocampus. When a product recommends or matches content, these memory fragments are used as a filtering criterion to automatically filter out objects that do not match the memory. For example, users who have resonated with a certain movie in the Douban group are more likely to be recommended to similar film and television-related social circles in the future.
1.3 The tyranny of the dopamine circuit
In 1997, Wolfgang Schultz’s reward prediction error experiment at Stanford University revealed the central role of dopamine in reward mechanisms. Experiments have found that when animals receive rewards that exceed expectations, dopamine neurons produce strong electrical discharges; Conversely, when the reward does not occur, the discharge activity is inhibited (Schultz et al., 1997). This extension of this mechanism in the social sphere explains why people are keen to find their “soulmate” – essentially the brain’s constant search for the reward experience of dopamine.
From the perspective of neuroeconomics, interpersonal communication is a process of repeated confirmation of reward expectations. When we interact with others, our brains automatically assess whether they can meet our emotional, social, or cognitive needs. If the other person’s feedback meets or exceeds expectations, the release of dopamine strengthens the relationship; Conversely, it will prompt us to look for new social partners.
This mechanism directly affects the user retention rate of social products: in the case of Soul App, its “soul match” function algorithmically recommends highly compatible users, which uses dopamine’s reward mechanism. When a user receives a successful match notification, the brain expects the pleasure of emotional resonance, leading to increased frequency of product use.
However, this neural mechanism also brings a harsh reality: so-called “soulmates” may just be a precise match of neurotransmitters. The “people who understand themselves” that we are constantly looking for in social interactions are essentially neural signal matchers screened out by the brain in the vast sea of people based on past memories and reward experiences.
This cognition subverts the traditional romantic view of social interaction, but also provides new design ideas for product managers: how to break the user’s “cognitive cage” through technical means and create a more breakthrough social experience while respecting neural mechanisms will become the key direction of future social product iteration.
Chapter 2: The Dilemma of Modernity in the Collective Unconscious
In the era of digital socialization, the collective unconscious of human beings is undergoing unprecedented alienation and reconstruction. Jung’s archetypal theory, Lacan’s mirror stage theory, and the classic experiments of group psychology have given rise to a series of new psychological phenomena under the impact of algorithms and virtual interactions. These changes not only reshape individual social behavior, but also affect the evolution of human collective consciousness on a deeper level.
2.1 Digital alienation of Jungian archetypal theory
The archetypal theory proposed by Swiss psychologist Carl Jung believes that there are universal psychological patterns that transcend cultures in the human collective unconscious, such as persona, anima/animus, etc.
In the social scene of WeChat Moments, these prototypes are reconstructed and strengthened by algorithms. The user’s carefully created circle of friends persona is essentially the embodiment of Jung’s “personality mask” in the digital space.
WeChat’s content recommendation algorithm will continuously strengthen the presentation of this personality mask based on the dynamic types and interaction data posted by users. For example, users who frequently share travel photos will be prioritized to recommend relevant travel content, further solidifying their “travel expert” persona label.
Clinical psychology cases provide evidence for the digital alienation of archetypal theory. A 2023 study at a psychiatric hospital showed that 68% of patients with split personality tendencies due to online social networking had anima/animus projection abnormalities. These patients create completely opposite personalities on different social platforms, appear as rational and serious workplace elites on Weibo, and become sweet and lively life bloggers on Xiaohongshu.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSPResearch data from 2022 reveals an association between social media use and personality type solidification. The study followed 2,000 users and found that among those who used social media for more than 3 hours a day, the proportion of MBTI personality types remained unchanged over 12 months was as high as 87%, significantly higher than the control group of 62%. This indicates that the homogeneous content pushed by the algorithm is reinforcing the user’s inherent cognitive pattern and making the archetypes in the collective unconscious more rigid.
2.2 The collapse of the social mirror stage
The “mirror stage” theory proposed by the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan believes that individuals construct their self-perception through the gaze of others. On short video platforms such as Douyin, the algorithmic quantification of “other gaze” has completely rewritten this process.
According to a 2023 survey by the China Youth Research Center, 73% of Douyin users aged 12-18 will adjust their self-image based on the number of likes and comments. The excessive use of beauty filters has led to the false identification obtained by teenagers in virtual images, gradually replacing self-perception in reality.
“Nature” (NatureThe 2023 study led to a game-changing discovery: when subjects observed avatars, mirror neurons were activated 23% more intensively than when they observed real people. This means that in digital social networking, the role of avatars in constructing individual self-perception has transcended reality.
For example, in metaverse social platforms, users interact through customized virtual characters, and this social method that is free from physical limitations is reshaping human definitions of “self” and “other”.
2.3 Pathologization of group cognitive closure
Solomon Ashey’s herd experiment in 1951 demonstrated the effect of group pressure on individual judgment. In the digital age, this herd effect has taken on a new form in online meetings and social groups. A digital upgrade of the analog Ahi experiment shows that when participants see that the majority supports a viewpoint, the probability of remaining silent increases to 89% even if they disagree, forming a “silence spiral”.
We call this phenomenon of individual cognition being distorted and spliced by group consciousness in the digital environment “cognitive chimera”. Neuroimaging studies provide physiological evidence that when the group is polarized, the emotional response area of the amygdala is abnormally active, and the activity of the rational judgment area of the prefrontal lobe is inhibited, and the abnormal coupling of the two leads to irrational group decision-making. For example, in the fermentation of public opinion on Weibo hot events, a large number of users gave up independent thinking and blindly followed mainstream views due to group emotions.
Under the impact of digital technology and algorithms, the traditional operating mechanism of the collective unconscious is collapsing, and new psychological dilemmas are emerging. These changes are not only related to individual mental health, but also put forward higher requirements for the design of social products. How to avoid users from falling into cognitive cages while conforming to human nature will be an important topic that product managers need to continue to explore.
Chapter 3: Existential Breakthrough – Beyond the Possibility of Fate
Under the “cognitive cage” revealed by neuroscience and the dilemma of modernity of the collective unconscious, are human beings destined to be trapped in a closed social loop of self-projection? The answer is not absolute. From the philosophical extension of quantum physics, to the empirical study of neuroplasticity, to the speculation of art and philosophy, we are exploring multiple paths beyond social predestination. These explorations not only provide a way for individuals to break through cognitive limitations, but also open up new possibilities for social product design.
3.1 The enlightenment of the quantum consciousness hypothesis
British mathematician Roger Penrose’s theory of micromanagement (Orch-OR) believes that consciousness arises from the collapse of quantum superposition in neuronal microtubules. Although this theory is controversial, its philosophical extension provides a new perspective on social behavior: if consciousness is inherently quantum, then social decision-making may also contain uncertainty and plasticity.
In a highly controversial simulation experiment, researchers tried to introduce the “observer effect” of the double-slit interference experiment into social situations. In the experiment, the subjects’ decision-making behavior was significantly altered by the setting of “being observed” when making virtual social choices, suggesting that social behavior may not be entirely determined by neural mechanisms, and quantum-level influences of the external environment may be involved.
Although the study has not yet been widely validated, its metaphor is far-reaching – everyone is like Schrödinger’s cat, in a superposition of multiple possibilities in the social field, and the moment of encounter is the embodiment of the collapse of the wave function.
Illustration: Under the quantum consciousness hypothesis, social decisions appear as superposition, encounter events trigger the collapse of the wave function, and the external environment (such as observed settings) can affect the direction of collapse.
3.2 Neuroplasticity of post-traumatic growth
Long-term studies of Vietnamese prisoners of war in the 1970s found that the experience of survival in extreme environments completely reshaped the individual’s interpersonal perception patterns. These prisoners of war showed greater empathy and social adaptability after reintegration into society, which confirms the theory of “post-traumatic growth” – adversity can be an opportunity to break through inherent cognition.
Neuroimaging studies provide physiological evidence for this. MRI scans of long-term meditators found that the connection method of their default mode network (DMN) was significantly different from that of ordinary people. DMN is often associated with self-centered thinking, and meditators’ reduced DMN activity means they are more likely to step outside the limits of self-projection.
A groundbreaking 2021 study in Cell showed that psychedelic therapy can alter an individual’s social preferences by modulating serotonin receptors. In experiments, subjects took hallucinogens and experienced an average 40% increase in acceptance of strangers, a change that lasted for weeks or even months. This study reveals the key role of neuroplasticity in social behavior change, and also provides new ideas for social product design: how to simulate neuromodulation processes through technical means to help users break through their social comfort zones.
Illustration: Different interventions activate neuroplasticity, weaken self-centered thinking by changing DMN connections, and ultimately improve social openness.
3.3 The art of paradoxical existence
Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis can be seen as a metaphor for self-perception and social alienation from a neuronarrative perspective. After the protagonist Gregor is transformed, his family and society’s attitude towards him changes suddenly, which reveals the fragility of social relationships and cognitive biases. This literary metaphor reminds us that breaking through social predestination requires actively breaking the inherent cognitive framework.
In the field of performance art, experiments lasting 30 days to imitate strangers demonstrate the possibility of cognitive transfer. Participants gradually changed their way of thinking and social habits by deliberately imitating the behavior patterns and social styles of others. This practice of “deliberately breaking the self” proves that active behavioral intervention can reshape social cognition.
Zen Buddhist koan “How is the patriarch’s intention from the west?” In the digital age, it can be reinterpreted as a reflection on the algorithm recommendation mechanism. When social products can break through the limitations of user portraits and push “unintentional beauty” to users, that is, content and social objects that exceed user expectations and break cognitive inertia, they may be able to create encounters that transcend fate. This requires product managers to incorporate more uncertainty and surprise into algorithm design, encouraging users to explore uncharted social territories.
From the philosophical speculation of quantum physics to the empirical research of neuroscience, to the practical exploration of art and philosophy, we see a variety of possibilities beyond social predestination. These explorations are not only about individual self-breakthrough, but also point out the direction for the innovation of social products. In the era dominated by algorithms, how to balance personalized recommendations and cognitive expansion will be the core topic of product design.
Chapter 4: The Ultimate Question – The Illusion and Rebirth of Free Will
When we swipe to match and click to add friends in the interface of social products, is free will dominating the choice, or is it already limited by neural mechanisms, algorithmic rules, and historical processes? This ultimate question runs through human cognitive exploration of self and society. From chance encounters in historical events to social changes brought about by cutting-edge technology, we are gradually approaching the truth of free will in the social field.
4.1 Exit of the Deterministic Labyrinth
On the day the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, East German engineer Hans and West German journalist Anna met by chance in front of the Brandenburg Gate, which became the beginning of a transnational love. On the surface, this encounter is full of historical chance, but from the intersection of neuroscience and sociology, there is a deep inevitability behind it.
At that time, the curiosity of the East German people about Western culture and the attention of the West German media to East Germany together constituted the social and psychological basis for the two to meet; Their similar intellectual backgrounds and sensitivity to historical turns are in line with the “self-replication” mechanism in mirror neuron theory. This interweaving of historical coincidence and neural necessity reveals the limitations of individual social choices in the macrohistorical process.
Chaos theory offers a new model for understanding social choice. Just as butterflies in the Amazon rainforest flapping their wings could trigger a tornado in Texas, small differences in initial social conditions can have a huge impact. We construct a simplified “social butterfly effect model”:
The model shows that a simple difference in choice, such as attending an academic lecture or a music gathering, can lead to very different social trajectories. This also echoes the question in philosophical experiments: if we live again, there is a high probability that we will still meet similar people under the same initial conditions; But by changing a small variable, the entire social graph can be reconstructed.
4.2 Transcendental practice in the mirror stage
The art of mandala sand painting in Tibetan Buddhism will be instantly erased after creation, and this seemingly “meaningless” behavior contains a profound cognitive philosophy. Neuroscience studies have shown that practitioners who participate in mandala sand painting have significantly reduced default mode network (DMN) activity, while the connection between the prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex is enhanced. This means that in the creative process, they are able to break out of the self-centered cognitive framework and transcend Lacan’s “mirror stage”.
In the field of clinical intervention, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technology provides a new way to change social preferences. A 2022 study published in Nature Medicine showed that subjects experienced an average of 29% increase in trust in strangers and a 41% reduction in social avoidance behavior by high-frequency TMS stimulation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
This technological intervention is like installing a “social mode switch” on the brain, breaking the limitations of inherent social cognition. From a metaphorical point of view, every encounter is a holographic projection of the universe, and we can not only be bound by projection, but also actively adjust the content and direction of the projection through technology or spiritual means.
4.3 Encounter Revolution in the Post-Human Era
The development of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is subverting the traditional law of similarity socialization. In 2023, Elon Musk’s Neuralink company announced experimental data: two monkeys connected through brain-computer interfaces can achieve direct transmission of action instructions. Applying this technology to the social field means that in the future, people may exchange ideas directly through neural signals without traditional media such as language and expressions. This “telepathic socialization” will revolutionize the social logic of “things like attract” because the compatibility of neural signals may transcend superficial similarities such as interests and values.
The simulation experiments of quantum entanglement in the social field are also thought-provoking. In 2021, a team from the University of Science and Technology of China conducted a decision test on twins 1,200 kilometers apart and found that their choice synchronization rate on certain abstract problems was as high as 78%, far exceeding the random probability. Although this “quantum entanglement socialization” cannot be fully explained by existing theories, it suggests that there may be a deep connection between social relationships and similarities beyond time and space.
However, when technology gives us the ability to design encounters, it also brings the ultimate paradox: when encounters can be accurately calculated by algorithms and artificially created by technology, does this encounter still have original emotional value and philosophical significance? For product managers, this means that while pursuing user experience optimization, they need to preserve the serendipity and mystery of social interaction, and find a balance between certainty and uncertainty.
From the interweaving of historical necessity and chance, to the reshaping of cognition by neurotechnology, to the social revolution triggered by future technology, our understanding of free will continues to iterate. Perhaps free will is neither a complete illusion nor absolute control, but a finite transcendence achieved by human beings through technological innovation and philosophical speculation under given conditions. This transcendence is not only about individual social choices, but also about redefining the design boundaries and humanistic values of future social products.
Chapter 5 Conclusion – Looking for cracks in the infinite mirror image
In the daily work of product managers, persona and user journey are the core tools for building product logic. When we put the proposition “what kind of person you are, what kind of person will you meet” under the microscope of product design, we will find that the self-projection mechanism revealed by neuroscience has an amazing isomorphism with the user cognitive model built by product managers through data algorithms. Our carefully drawn user personas are essentially mirror projections of user behavior patterns and social preferences; The social closed loop created by recommendation algorithms is like Borges’ Babel Library – seemingly providing users with infinite choices, but in fact trapping them in a cognitive maze woven by similarity. This discovery not only deconstructs the underlying logic of social products, but also triggers deep thinking about the essence of product value: are we creating connections or cocoons?
5.1 Recursive Allegory: A Neurological Rewriting of Borges’ Library of Babel
Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges depicts a universe composed of countless books in The Library of Babel, each containing letters in different arrangements and combinations, seemingly containing infinite possibilities, but in fact falling into repetition and chaos.
Rewriting this parable from a neurological perspective: our brains are like this library, and the “books” of memory and cognition continue to replicate similar social patterns. The self-projection of mirror neurons, the memory screening of the hippocampus, and the reward chase of the dopamine circuit work together to weave a closed loop, allowing us to constantly meet “familiar strangers” in social interactions.
Illustration: The neural mechanism forms a closed loop, resulting in the continuous repetition of similar social patterns, and the construction of a cognitive maze like the Library of Babel.
5.2 Awakening Moment: An epiphany experience that suddenly sounds like a bird song early in the morning
But just as there must be books that reveal the truth in Borges’s library, there is also the possibility of a breakthrough in human social dilemmas. This moment of awakening is often accidental, like an epiphany experience that suddenly “understands the bird’s language” one morning.
The phenomenon of “Default Mode Network (DMN) decoupling” in neuroscience provides a physiological basis for this. When individuals break their innate cognition through meditation, post-traumatic growth, or hallucinogenic interventions, the abnormal connection of the DMN to other brain regions temporarily severs the inertia of self-centered thinking, allowing the individual to break out of the cycle of social mirroring.
At the product design level, this moment of awakening can be translated into a “cognitive impact point” of the user experience. For example, if a social product can insert 15% of the “anti-recommendation content” in the accurate recommendation information flow at the right time, that is, social objects or content that do not match the user’s portrait at all, it may trigger the user’s cognitive reconstruction. This design does not negate the principle of “similarity attraction”, but creates an opportunity for users to break the cognitive cage.
5.3 Open-ended ending: “When you stop looking for yourself, the world will show you all the possibilities”
The ultimate breakthrough may lie in transcending the obsession of “finding oneself”. When we no longer see socialization as a validation field for self-projection but embrace the unknown with an open attitude, socialization will reveal its true richness. This concept coincides with the wisdom of Zen Buddhism to “do it without intention”, and also points out the direction for future social product design: products should not only be a tool to strengthen users’ existing cognition, but also a bridge to expand the boundaries of cognition. From the perspective of product iteration, the evolutionary history of social products is essentially a history of exploration of user cognitive boundaries. From the early geographical location-based stranger socialization, to algorithm-driven interest matching, to the immersive social networking based on virtual identity in the metaverse, every product form innovation is a reconstruction of the definition of “encounter”. These cutting-edge technologies are not only the technical fulcrum of product innovation, but also the key lever to break the social fate of social fate. But no matter how technology evolves, the core is always to balance “certainty” and “chance” – while meeting users’ needs for comfortable socialization, retaining enough cognitive cracks to make unexpected encounters possible. This requires product managers to find that delicate balance between AB testing and user feedback, between user experience maps and business goals, so that the product meets the immediate needs of human nature and guides users to a broader cognitive frontier. As we close this book of exploration into the nature of encounters, the true product design journey has just begun. In the mirror world woven by algorithms and neural mechanisms, I hope that every product manager can become the one who actively looks for cracks, breaking the shackles of user cognition while realizing the leap from a “functional tool” to a “cognitive engine”. This transcendence is not only an in-depth exploration of user value, but also the evolution of social products from “catering to human nature” to “enlightening human nature”, and is the ultimate answer for product managers to practice the mission of “design changes the world”.
