Herd Mentality - The Beastly Side of People

Years ago, I wrote about the mob - people who didn't seem to care; people going about their work without taking much time to think about the consequences of their actions; people who endured the burdens of others as if that was their destiny; people who, without visible question or resistance, accepted the norm and the status quo; people who reacted perfectly to the dominant acts of others then, behind the dominant backs, spent considerable time complaining about their unhappy lots in life. 

As I defined it: The mob = the herd. And mob mentality = herd mentality.

I rarely write about or talk about the herd any more.

Yet, recently, while listening to an audio book¹ I could not help but recall some of the things I have written about the herd. 

Assuming I transcribed all of the words accurately, the audio book stated:

“Self Betrayal:

1. An act contrary to what I feel I should do for another is called an act of self-betrayal.
2. When I betray myself I begin to see the world in a way that justifies my self-betrayal.
3. When I see the world in a self-justifying way my view of reality becomes distorted.
4. So, when I betray myself I enter the box.
5. Over time certain boxes become characteristic of me and I carry them with me.
6. By being in the box I provoke others to be in the box.
7. In the box we invite mutual mistreatment and obtain mutual justification. We collude in giving each other reason to stay in the box.”

I suppose people in the mob rarely, if ever, get out of their boxes.

I suppose self-betrayal is the defining essence of the herd, herd mentality, & mob mentality.

Footnote:

1. 'Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box', The Arbinger Institute, (audio book), (2012)