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Ritual Compliance: Viewing Modern Society's Loyalty Tests Through "Pointing at a Deer and Calling It a Horse"

May 23, 2026

#social analysis #political psychology #historical cases

Introduction

In times of social crisis, the core function of certain mandatory policies implemented by governments often goes beyond practical public interest or scientific effectiveness. Instead, they resemble a modern version of “pointing at a deer and calling it a horse.” Such policies become mechanisms for forced public declaration — what the system truly cares about is not the actual efficacy of the measure, but using it to ask every individual: “Are you one of us?”

I. Zhao Gao’s “Pointing at a Deer and Calling It a Horse” Loyalty Test

During the reign of Qin Er Shi, Zhao Gao brought a deer to court but claimed it was a horse, using this act to test the obedience of the officials. The essence of this farce lay not in the truth itself, but in whether individuals dared to openly challenge the ruler’s definition of reality. This is a classic example of a “loyalty test”: those in power force others to publicly affirm an obviously absurd claim, thereby identifying the loyal and weeding out potential dissenters. Compelling the public to repeat a statement they know is not entirely correct is a means to consolidate control.[1]

II. A Modern Example of Ritual Compliance: The Orchestra Mask Case

The requirement for orchestra musicians to wear “slit masks” while performing is a highly symbolic example.[2] These masks are scientifically almost useless at blocking aerosols, yet musicians were still forced to wear them. This is a textbook case of “ritual compliance.” The actual effectiveness of the rule becomes secondary; what matters is the public display of “I stand on the correct side.” Similar phenomena were widespread during the pandemic: access to certain venues required completion of specific public health actions. When people sense that science is being used to package power demands, it severely erodes public trust in institutions over the long term.

III. Social Signaling in Specific Public Health Campaigns

When certain public health measures are heavily promoted during specific periods, they can easily transcend the realm of practical science and become powerful tools for social and political signaling. At such times, the actual risk-benefit ratio of the measure is no longer the focus. Instead, compliance itself becomes the key symbol for testing one’s stance. Those who actively comply are seen as responsible and socially conscious “insiders,” while those who hesitate or refuse are often labeled as selfish, anti-intellectual, or irresponsible. This binary division highly politicizes and moralizes what was originally a public health issue, successfully creating a clear boundary between “the compliant” and “the deviants,” thereby strengthening social control and collective pressure.

IV. The Absurd Theater of Caligula and His Horse Incitatus in Ancient Rome

A famous parallel to the Chinese “pointing at a deer and calling it a horse” is the story of Roman Emperor Caligula (37–41 AD) and his beloved horse Incitatus (approximately 250 years after Zhao Gao). According to the Roman historians Suetonius and Cassius Dio, Caligula doted on the horse excessively. He built it a marble stable, furnished it with an ivory manger, purple blankets, and jeweled collars, assigned it slaves and servants, and even invited it to banquets. Most outrageously, he threatened to appoint the horse as a consul or senator and demanded that the Senate and officials treat the matter seriously.

Senators and courtiers, fearing for their lives, were forced to participate in this clearly absurd ritual — pretending to respect the horse’s “exalted status” and not daring to question or mock it openly. Even though everyone knew it was ridiculous, they had no choice but to perform obedience. Caligula used such extreme commands that defied common sense to humiliate and test the loyalty of the Senate, highlighting how, under tyrannical rule, people engage in ritualistic formal compliance merely to survive.[3]

V. Nazi Germany’s Hitler Salute: Daily Loyalty Performance

Another highly representative modern case is the “Hitler Salute” (Hitlergruß — right arm extended upward with the words “Heil Hitler”), which became mandatory in Nazi Germany after 1933. Originally a greeting within the Nazi Party, it was later enforced by law for civil servants, teachers, students, and even ordinary citizens in public settings.

Anyone who refused to perform the salute would face immediate suspicion, professional punishment, or even more severe persecution. Many people knew full well that it was a symbol of political worship, yet they had to repeat this highly ritualized gesture every day to prove their “loyalty.” It was not merely a greeting, but a continuous mechanism of public declaration that placed the entire society under constant loyalty monitoring. Through this daily absurd requirement, the regime successfully internalized “compliance” as a condition for survival.[4]

Conclusion: The Universal Pattern of Power

Throughout history and across cultures, when a regime needs to unify thought and eliminate dissent, it frequently resorts to ritualistic demands where symbolism outweighs substance in order to test and reinforce obedience. This mechanism of forcing public declarations to divide “insiders” from “outsiders” is a fundamental operation of power. It is never merely about the correctness of a single policy, but about deep games involving loyalty, identity, fear, and belonging. As long as power structures exist, this pattern will continue to reappear in different forms across different eras.

References

[1] Zhao Gao “Pointing at a Deer and Calling It a Horse”

[2] Orchestra Mask Case

[3] Caligula and Incitatus

[4] Nazi Hitler Salute

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