It was in the news and on social media that a large group of people were planning on protesting the certification of Joe Biden's win over Donald Trump. This massive group of Republicans believed that the election had been rigged and that the results giving Biden a massive win over Trump was fraudulent. That morning, I called a work colleague that I discuss politics with a lot and told him, "Watch, something's going to go down today. These are those extreme Trump supporters that would follow him into the fires of hell. They're gonna have guns, they're gonna do something stupid, and it's gonna get crazy." Not to brag, but HOLY SHIT was I right!
Just like clockwork, the protestors escalated their behavior until they had swarmed the steps of the Capitol and soon after, broke inside and threw some papers around. Overall, I was super disappointed. I mean, if you're gonna go through all that effort, at least bring guns with you and make it a show. These guys that made it in pretty much just trashed the place, stole a few trinkets/memorabilia, and broke some windows. In my mind, it was a pretty weak castle storming if I'm being honest.
Whether the "Storming of the Capitol" was a silly little protest that got momentarily out of hand, or an armed insurrection, the real question is: How did a group of people who were so vocally against the Floyd George protests, and the riots that ensued, turn into a seething mob ready to tear shit up?
Groupthink
The answer is a psychological mystery known as "groupthink". The basic idea is that people tend to adopt beliefs and behavior of other people in a group that they are a member of. By doing this, a member of the group reduces the chances of quarrels with other members, or from being ostracized from the group for committing what George Orwell called "Thought Crime." Groupthink is dangerous on many levels because it quite often lead to beliefs that are illogical or just simply absurd. The need for people to maintain harmony within the group will cause an individual, who may be intelligent and rational on their own, to act in ways that don't don't necessarily align with their personal values.
People have been studying groupthink, or crowd psychology, since the late 1800s. Gustave Le Bon was a french philosopher, economist, and psychologist who published The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind in 1895. He believed that when a person became part of a group or crowd, their sense of personal identity was replaced with the identity of the group. The group creates a certain level of anonymity that allows a persons subconscious mind to take over from the rational, conscious mind.
Since Le Bon, groupthink, or crowd psychology has been the subject of a lot of controversy, primarily because it is extremely difficult to conduct studies. However, one thing that seems to be clear is that people in groups can very easily be persuaded to act however the perceived leaders of the group instruct them too. Martin Luther King once said that, "Riots are the language of the unheard." However, as an advocate of peaceful protest, he led 250,000 people in the March on Washington with the Washington DC police reporting no incidents of violence or mayhem occurring during the event.
The Dangers of Following the Herd
One theme that pops up in my head over and over is the idea of social proof. Social proof is the idea that a person can use the knowledge of others to save them from having to go through the work of having to spend the mental effort of collecting information and coming to a conclusion themselves. One of my favorite examples of this is found in the Pick-up Artist Community. In the book, the Mystery Method, the author suggests that, if trying to pick up a girl at a bar, it's always best to bring one or two female friends along for the night. Having other women around you signals to other females that you have already been deemed non-threatening and thus, safe to talk to.
However, it's easy to see how this strategy can easily be abused. And it is abused on a regular basis by marketers and other people who want to influence people. Testimonials and reviews are used to convince would-be customers that a certain product is a worthy purchase. Shoe companies pay famous athletes to endorse their products, authors pay other successful authors to write a review for their book cover, and on nearly every single Amazon product page, you can find a list of reviews by customers who praise the product.
The social proof concept is the foundation of the groupthink phenomenon. While some members of the group are more leader types, others are followers and look to the other people in the group for behavior signals. In the case of riots or the events at the Capitol this past week, it usually only takes one or two of the "leaders" to begin acting in a certain way and others will soon begin the same behavior. "Well if these guys are doing it, it must be okay for me to do it." This hardly ever turns out good.
A major problem with groupthink is that certain ideas spread throughout the group regardless of if they are good ideas or not. In my opinion, perhaps one of the most dangerous ideas being spread throughout conservative groups is the Covid-19 virus is "just the flu." In this case, people may know someone that had Covid but recovered quickly, and so they use this as "evidence" that it's not as bad as everyone is making it out to be. Ignoring the scientific data and the alarming death rates, this group is fighting tooth-and-nail the safety measures implemented by state governments. The interesting part of this is that the believers and non-believers can, for the most part, be identified strictly by their political affiliation. This is true not just with Covid-19, but man-made climate crisis and other social issues.
Avoiding Groupthink
Humans are, by nature, social animals. Living within a society provides us many benefits including safety and companionship. Every part of our biology and psychology evolved to help us live longer and our susceptibility to groupthink is no different. For example, say you were out hunting with members of your tribe when suddenly, several of them begin running your way with frightened expressions on their faces. Instead of having to wait to see what they're all running from, and potentially becoming a victim of an angry bear or lion, you can make the quick decision to simply turn-tail and flee as well.
While it's easy to see how groupthink was beneficial to our hunter-gatherer ancestors, it's not as useful to us in our modern society. In fact, I would say that it's more harmful than good. I recently read a story about a man who refused to believe in the dangers of Covid-19. His social media was full of anti-mask and anti-vaccine posts. Within a couple months of the initial outbreak, both his mother and father had contracted Covid and passed away within weeks of each other.
Trying to fight against our own instincts is incredibly difficult. Having an opinion that differs from the group often leads to hostility and sometimes even violence. So how does one avoid falling into the pitfalls of groupthink? The first step is, of course, to be aware of your participation. If you find yourself holding a strong opinion about something, ask yourself, "Is this opinion my own?"
For years, I was a hard-core laissez faire capitalist. I held strong beliefs against taxation and social programs and felt that each person was in charge of their own destiny. When I sat back and did a little self-reflection on it though, I realized that the only reason I had these beliefs was because I had read Atlas Shrugged and that when I would discuss Ayn Rand's ideas with my conservative family, I would get validation and approval. Once I began my own study of sociology and biological evolution, I began to see the error of my thought process and set out to form a philosophy that made sense to me. One of the things I make sure to do though, is to keep my opinions to myself, especially when I know that they may be considered controversial. As Robert Greene writes in the 48 Laws of Power, "Think as you like, but behave like others."
As I've said time and time again, the best thing you can do for yourself is to educate yourself. Challenge your beliefs, ask questions, and find trustworthy primary sources of information to help you form a view that is independent of the group.
The easiest way to avoid groupthink is to avoid the groups. Especially social media. Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram can be giant echo chambers. People tend to surround themselves with other like minded individuals and so they tend to feed off each other and support whatever ideas happen to make their way in. If someone happens to post a comment that doesn't fit the groups beliefs, they are blasted to hell with a whole barrage of insults. I recently deleted my Facebook profile and all political memes and posts from my Instagram account. Since then, I feel like by not participating in these online debates and discussions, I'm free to hold any view I want. It's really quite liberating.
Accepting Things the Way They Are
For good or for worse, the human race has evolved into what it is currently. As much as I want to be mad about certain aspects of it, it doesn't really do anyone any good. We're currently living in an age where free speech is under attack. Say the wrong thing in front of the wrong person or make a slightly controversial post, and you can quickly find yourself with a bloody nose or without a job. For me, I choose the path of least resistance. I try to stay away from discussing ideas with people that I know subscribe to rigid set of beliefs. These never turn out well and quite frankly, they're draining.
There will always be folks who follow the herd and there will always be lunatics to lead them. Do yourself a favor and just let them do their think, keep your head down, and try to live the best life you can.
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