Toxic Norms and the Mandate to Question 🤔: How to Dissect Rules

The provided sources collectively offer a **critical framework for evaluating social norms**, distinguishing between those that are beneficial and those that are oppressive or "dubious." The texts establish that **dubious norms** are characterized by **obscure origins**, the lack of **tangible benefits to individual or collective well-being**, and a heavy **reliance on coercion, shame, or duress** rather than understanding or voluntary acceptance. Furthermore, the sources cite a **Qur’anic principle (17:36)**—an injunction against following what one does not know—to provide an **ethical and theological mandate for critical scrutiny** and intellectual accountability regarding adherence to social practices. Ultimately, the central argument is that **norms should function as tools that serve human flourishing** rather than being burdens that must be blindly endured, warning that systems relying on fear inevitably lead to psychological and moral harm.