HERD MENTALITY

OK, so this was an article written by me, which was published in the NIE TIMES OF INDIA NEWSPAPER...just thought i'll share it with you all as well..

HERD MENTALITY

It takes all kinds to make the world. The planet is filled with tall people, short people, egoistic people, and humble people to name a few. But do all these individuals retain their personal characteristics when they are in a group?

The term mob psychology was introduced to me by one of my teachers. “People are like sheep,” she said and she was absolutely right. Even in the movie Men In Black, Tommy Lee Jones tells Will Smith “A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals.”

Mob psychology or more commonly known as “herd” mentality is used to describe the tendency of people to instinctively behave like others in a group. Wanting to follow the latest fashion trends, buying the newest gadgets are all signs of herd mentality. We all feel an impending need to be like those around us. And this need is not exclusive to the latest trends. Herd mentality extends its influence to a person’s decisions as well.

This very characteristic of herd mentality is what manifests itself in the teenage years as “impulsive decision making” and “succumbing to peer pressure”.

While this is the stage when people feel the strongest desire to fit in, being in a herd and tagging along gives them a sense of security. Irrespective of whether the company is good or bad, the sanctuary of fellow members of the herd is enough to make the person do things that he/she would not have done alone.

But having said that I personally feel that being a part of a “pack” is not always a bad thing. It gives people the reassurance that they are not alone and in many cases acts as a support system as well. We just have to keep our eyes open and make sure that the herd is headed to greener pastures and not barren land.