I recently told someone that businesses can have a herd mentality; when one starts laying off workers, many others follow. But how does a herd mentality affect people?
Studies show that the vast majority of people are followers as opposed to leaders. This is true for members of organizations, social groups, public rallies, or general gatherings. A few can influence the behaviors and actions of many.
A herd mentality is basing one’s decisions on other people’s actions in a group.
An article on PsychCentral stated, “Researchers discovered that it takes a minority of just five percent to influence a crowd’s direction – and that the other 95 percent follow without realizing it.”
The possibility of not realizing that you’re following others in a group sounds rather scary.
In the animal world, a few spooked cows, deer, or other animals in a herd or pack can cause the whole group to stampede. A panicked crowd can also result in a stampede which is often deadly.
Unlike animals, the one-mindedness or herd mentality in people is also due to cultural, racial, and other social barriers.
Social conformity void of principle and morality is problematic and is an acute component of a herd mentality, mob, or pack. When the pressure and influence are just right, people conform to the actions of a minority in the group despite their individual beliefs and standards. It’s like being swept away in a windstorm.
The DARE Program in schools (Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program) was based on non-conformity to discourage and lessen peer pressure. The message, SAY NO TO DRUGS, was simple, moral, and the right thing to do. DARE’s core message relied on an individual’s character and pledge to say NO despite various pressures.
Today, many DARE participants and studies don’t tout the program and suggest there isn’t much, if any, evidence that the program was effective or impactful.
The sphere of influence cannot be underestimated in a herd mentality; groups of kids, teenagers, or young adults are no exception.
What about our tribalistic society with all its conspiracy theories and alternative truths? Why would people abandon Christian principles and confederate with liars with platforms of division?
Why are people so vulnerable to a herd mentality?
You’ve seen people incite and egg on a confrontation, and before long, bystanders join in to fan the flames creating a mob or pack mentality that leads to violence. Sometimes people get swept into waves of emotions, unknowingly doing something they thought they would never do.
What about that woman killed by one of her six friends while vacationing in San Jose de Cabo? Allegedly someone filmed the terrible beating that resulted in her death. Was this a case of herd mentality—one leader and the others abandoned their principles and did nothing to stop the deadly beating?
How many does it take to make a herd?
In the case of animals, it depends on the country, region, and land mass. Imagine a stampede of 225 cows; it would take a tremendous force to calm the herd.
How do we avoid a herd mentality?
Don’t take part in the antics and fray.
Stand up for your principles and beliefs.
Stay away from extreme or fringe groups.
Sometimes people follow leaders who are confident, informed, and have a degree of status—even unethical ones—to be visible and relevant.
I can’t promise I wouldn’t panic in an unusual and fearful circumstance, but otherwise, I try to make decisions based on my core beliefs.
What do you think about herd mentality and its impact on our society?
Be well.