There’s a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear.
The crux of the book is to instill small changes which lead on to big impacts in your life! But that is not the discussion here!
In the novel he describes an experiment.
One person is asked which line is short or long!
Now among the two lines the participant could easily tell which line is long or short! But this is where it gets interesting!
He is now made to sit with a team and everyone is asked the same question! Everyone give the wrong answer!
Unknown to him the other participants in the study were actors! They all told the wrong answer purposefully!
Now if the participant is really strong and sure he or she normally used to stick to his ‘correct’ answer to an extent!
This was seen to be dependent on the number of participants!
If the participants number is less then the person sticks to his or her answer!
As the number of actors increases and they all tell the wrong answer, the person finally goes with the crowd albeit reluctantly! He or she knows that his or her answer is correct and everyone else is wrong but then the overwhelming majority makes it difficult!
This is called the crowd mentality!
You would rather be wrong with the crowd or be right and alone!
Crowd mentality, also known as herd mentality or mob mentality, is actually a psychological phenomenon where individuals in a group are influenced to conform to the majority’s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors, often at the expense of their own individual judgment.
This collective behavior, which can range from harmless to dangerous, leads individuals to act differently than they would alone, influencing everything from financial markets and social media trends to crowd control and even destructive mob behavior!
With the recent advent of social media and the whole new generation which believes in ‘more is right’; the trend is very disturbing!
They chief aspects are that the individuals tend to adopt the opinions and actions of the group to fit in or because they are unsure of the correct way to behave!
In fact emotions, attitudes, and behaviors can spread rapidly through a crowd, creating a sense of urgency or panic!
People have been seen to adopt trending ideas, challenges, or opinions seen online because others are doing it! This explains the latest iPhone buying sensation or to get that Stanley bottle!
Even in financial markets, investors may buy or sell stocks based on the perceived sentiment of the crowd rather than fundamental value, a phenomenon called herd behavior in finance!
In fact understanding crowd mentality is crucial for managing large public events and preventing dangerous situations like panic during emergencies or during a mob!
This is particularly important since groups of people can engage in actions within a crowd that they would not attempt individually, sometimes leading to destructive mob behavior.
So remember that just because everyone is doing a thing DOES NOT make it right! You can still stick to the correct norm! Do not be a part of the crowd! Stand out and be brave and proud about it!
Like the story writer Koduri Viswa Vijayendra Prasad! He wrote bahubali and RRR and eega! His son also stands out and doesn’t follow the crowd! Rajamouli!
Now follow the crowd and sleep! Or not!
Shubh ratri!
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