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Sep21
What does Herd Mentality Cost?


It may be faster and easier and bring in more money ... to teach everybody the same, build stuff the same, and follow all the same rules daily. But where will it lead?
Sheep_Herd.gif
My friend and fellow writer Galba Bright raised the idea in a comment on my site this morning – and that led to a bigger question. What does our growing herd mentality cost?

Do you find yourself longing for more of what Helen Keller spoke for … when she said … “Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing at all.”

Let’s look again to creative geniuses who feared the herd mentality for its capability of sinking a nation and zapping people's reflective power. Look at wars that we wage again and again – and you’ll see what I mean. Only a great deal of innovation can add new feet to the best ideas out there … and that takes developing and nurturing individual creativity.

To Einstein and other creative builders …the herd mentality….

1. Stifles the nurturance of creativity and invention.
2. Hands money to big business at the expense of humanity.
3. Creates rifts from growing gaps between haves and have-nots.
4. Hands decision making to a few who control and manipulate.
5. Costs the nation its place globally in innovation and discovery

No question … there’s fast money in getting the crowd to pay its dollar into one fat coffer … for fair to middlin' results. How so?

Look around at workers in your firm ...  who tread water or protect their turf ...  and you may spot your own herd. My concern is … What are we buying in the end – by selling our brains to be rewired into herd mentality?  What do you think?

 


6 Comments/Trackbacks




Interesting you only see the downsides of "herd" mentality; the upside actually shapes just about everything we value around us. You can't just switch this part of our nature off. Instead, why not try to work with it...?

Mark, what an interesting point and I highly respect what you say. My point is to ask the question --- what are these values shaped by the herd? And that was what Einstein questioned when herd mentality held back creativity - created wars and he said reeatedly that his role was to run from the herd mentality. I agree.

Having said that, there are two sides or more wherever thoughtful people gather! You proved that by STEPPING OUT OF THE HERD :-) to make a thoughtful comment on the other side. Cool insights:-) Thanks Mark!

You're welcome.

It's worth noting that virtually every other culture in the world sees humanity as first and foremost a Herd Animal (that is a superconnected, Social creature) rather than a individualist self-determining one as our shared cultural tradition has it.

So not sure my insight is so unusual after all or even mine!

And wonder whether they are all wrong but we are right?

Your ideas nudge us to think, Mark. No question!

When you say "We" are you speaking of US -- which I am claiming is becoming the herd mentality?

My post suggests we are very herdlike. Innovators such as Einstein, in any culture claim they are not. I agree they are not:-) Thoughts?

Ellen -

Check out this column by Justin Fox in Time Business. The title of the column is "Herd on the Street" about investors continuing to invest even when it may be a bad idea and they know it.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1659731,00.html

Hello Ellen:

I think that not being able to develop creative ideas is a problem, however sometimes one can generate too many ideas. The key is to find ways to generate ideas and then seek the wisdom to "back the right horse."

Priscilla Palmer's initiation of the Personal Development List is a great example of the power of well directed creative thought. I wrote about it here:
http://tuneupyoureq.com/2007/09/27/an-intruiging-way-to-create-reality/

Thanks v.much also for the link.

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