Brains compress the world into layers and rank, route attention upward, so local noise gets summarized before it reaches a decision. That is why pyramid-like groups feel obvious: a few signals at the top, many roles below, a ladder everyone can read. Hierarchy is an attractor, not destiny. Flatter systems need counter-design because the nervous system is already used to climbing.

It feels “just obvious” because it’s been engineered into you.