Aristocracies rely on secrecy to mask their numerical weakness, exploiting fear of the unknown.

Evidence

This significance of the secret society as the intensification of sociological exclusiveness in general, is strikingly shown in political aristocracies. Secrecy has always been among the requisites of their regime. In the first place, by trying to conceal the numerical insignificance of the ruling class, aristocracies exploit the psychological fact that the unknown itself appears to be fearsome, mighty, threatening. — Georg Simmel, The Sociology of Georg Simmel, 8829

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Shapiro’s guardians who conceal their own fallibility behind secrecy — the ‘unknown appears fearsome’ mechanism echoes institutional mystification.