#herd behavior

[fashionlandscapeblog]

Let's face it: A big chunk of humanity loves/celebrates trolls and applauds sheer stupidity. They elect them for president, they listen to their podcasts, they follow them on social media, they believe when they state that 2+2=5 and participate in cults of personality. It's a sign of the times, it's the Zeitgeist: we're living in the Trump era or better yet -- the mean girl era.

The more aggressive and predatorial you appear, the haughtier you speak, the bigger the applause, the more blind the admiration, the possibility of critical thinking appears even more hopeless and the bigger the herd mentality.

Following strong leaders is definitely rooted in primal instincts for survival, I've realized this since I was young. In my youth, I was more idealistic thinking we can become better as a species and society and overcome those primal instincts through reason and education. However, the gravity of this aspect of humanity in current times is capable of exterminating the last bit of hope even in the post optimistic of humans. We seem bound to repeat the worst in history.

[wtf-fun-factss]

In 2022, over 400 sheep began walking in a circle. Click to read the full fact.

[alchemisoul]

"I'm optimistic when I meet individuals, when you talk to one person. People are great one at a time because in them you see all the beauty, all the potential for this species.

As soon as they get in groups, Larry, I get scared. Two people even, they change. They say, "I like Bob, but not when he's with Linda". Three people, five people, ten...they start having little hats, little armbands, slogans, and an agenda...stuff they want to do.

The bigger the group, the worse it is Larry. Give me individuals one at a time, and I'm an optimist. Put em in groups of four hundred, four thousand, or ten million - and I get scared."

- George Carlin, Larry King Live (1990)

"Though they seem at opposite poles, fanatics of all kinds are actually crowded together at one end. It is the fanatic and the moderate who are poles apart and never meet. The fanatics of various hues eye each other with suspicion and are ready to fly at each other’s throats. But they are neighbors and almost of one family."

“The beginning of thought is in disagreement - not only with others but also with ourselves.”

- Eric Hoffer

[gypsyastronaut]

[webntrmpt2x]

The pervasive spread of misinformation can be tracked to cognitive limitations, social influence and the global spread of online networks. C

Excerpt:

“Pluralistic ignorance, groupthink and polarization are all known to be ‘emergent’ effects that arise naturally under suitable conditions. This self-organizing behavior of groups is often not understood, and frequently attributed to other causes. It is also why governments, media and public are often caught by surprise when groups suddenly emerge promoting strange agendas.

“The above group behaviors emerge spontaneously when individual failures in cognition interact and lead to dysfunctional group behaviours. They are driven by a deep social drive for safety in a group. This fuels errors in the way we think and leads people to take the ‘safe’ route and follow the crowd.”

[raindrenchedartwork]

An Apatosaurus is looking after his buddy while they sleep.   

[frankcmcclanahaniii]

UNHERD

In these difficult uncertain times when people seem intensely focused on the systemic failings of the modern world and the bad motives of others who are not similar to themselves, I think it might be a good time for self-reflection. While herd immunity might be a potent weapon against the ravages of coronavirus, herd thinking, which seems to be underlying the cancel culture is most commonly a pernicious thing. It is responsible for most of the worst atrocities in human history, and unquestionably brought out the worst in the conduct of all great wars. A variant called herd mania is at the root of the greatest modern financial catastrophes from tulipmania to the great depression, as evidenced by Joseph Kennedy’s wry observation that “When I started to get stock tips from the shoeshine boy I knew it was time to get out.” Herd behavior is almost always driven by bad motives like hate or greed or hubris and almost never by considerate discourse. So here is a sonnet for a contrarian view: SELF IMPROVEMENT Perhaps if we could live the way We see ourselves within our minds More thoughtful than we are, more kind; More careful what we do or say To everyone we see each day We might see more we miss, or find More things we might have left behind Unnoticed, we might wish could stay. Bombarded with conflicting things Sometimes we fail to sip or taste Connections we might celebrate. How sad to be remembering The links we strained to hold too long For those we failed to notice, gone. This sonnet asks and answers questions, which is one thing a sonnet can do well. But asking and answering questions does not require a sonnet. Here is another very short poem which does the same thing. It too is apropos for these troubled times and it uses rhyme and structure just as sonnets attempt to do. But it is probably more to the point. If not you, who? Not me. We. © 2020 frankcmcclanahaniii

[alchemisoul]

There's never a shortage of criticism on the mindstate of the western world and its emphasis on the individual, not all of which is unreasonable. Although the older I get, the more frightened I become with the tyranny of the group mind(s).

"Though they seem at opposite poles, fanatics of all kinds are actually crowded together at one end. It is the fanatic and the moderate who are poles apart and never meet. The fanatics of various hues eye each other with suspicion and are ready to fly at each other’s throats. But they are neighbors and almost of one family." “The beginning of thought is in disagreement - not only with others but also with ourselves.”

- Eric Hoffer