BANDWAGON
Most individuals, to put in bluntly, just go with the flow because that's what everyone does. I'm sure you have heard the phrase, "jumping on the bandwagon." The bandwagon phenomena refers to the tendency people have to adopt a certain behavior, style or attitude, just because everyone else is doing it. The more people do a certain thing the more likely the masses will "jump on the bandwagon." I have always been considered a person who beats to the beat of a different drum because I can honestly say that I have never subscribed to a group think mentality. I believe that this kind of thinking can lead to mental growth stunting. For example, if you are told that the quickest way to get from one city to another is by flying, then that becomes the norm. And, if someone comes along and disputes this, most individuals think that he may be crazy because there isn't another way to get from city to city quicker than flying. But can it be that most individuals can be wrong? And wouldn't this kind of group thinking discourage the next generation of inventors to come up with a better and quicker way to get from city to city?
I get it, we are all social creatures by nature. We all want to conform to be accepted into society. But, the danger is that we can all fall prey to wrong belief's just because the majority believes a certain way. A meaningful example, is that in the 1950's the majority of smokers believed that smoking was harmless. In fact, many ads and celebrities promoted smoking as a cool thing to do. And how did that work out? We can learn so much from children regarding this bandwagon phenomena or this group think mentality if we care to watch. Children from a small age are fearless. They have been known to drive cars, jump in the deep end of a pool and even climb ledges successfully. Why is this? I believe because they have not polluted their minds with group think mentality. I'm not saying parents should allow their kinds to wonder away in perilous activity. But, what I am saying is that there should be a balance in allowing a child the room to explore and learn on their own. Just because a parent is scared of the ocean for whatever reason doesn't mean that their children should follow in the same direction. Understanding this group think phenomena is important because it can free us to utilize our endowed, naturally creative elements, to freely think. If we can catch ourselves when we're falling into a trap with this phenomena, I believe, will be a huge step toward living a happy and productive life. I leave you with a quote from the movie, The Big Short, "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."
Just a thought.
I get it, we are all social creatures by nature. We all want to conform to be accepted into society. But, the danger is that we can all fall prey to wrong belief's just because the majority believes a certain way. A meaningful example, is that in the 1950's the majority of smokers believed that smoking was harmless. In fact, many ads and celebrities promoted smoking as a cool thing to do. And how did that work out? We can learn so much from children regarding this bandwagon phenomena or this group think mentality if we care to watch. Children from a small age are fearless. They have been known to drive cars, jump in the deep end of a pool and even climb ledges successfully. Why is this? I believe because they have not polluted their minds with group think mentality. I'm not saying parents should allow their kinds to wonder away in perilous activity. But, what I am saying is that there should be a balance in allowing a child the room to explore and learn on their own. Just because a parent is scared of the ocean for whatever reason doesn't mean that their children should follow in the same direction. Understanding this group think phenomena is important because it can free us to utilize our endowed, naturally creative elements, to freely think. If we can catch ourselves when we're falling into a trap with this phenomena, I believe, will be a huge step toward living a happy and productive life. I leave you with a quote from the movie, The Big Short, "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."
Just a thought.