Fade Into The Crowd

Chilling lessons on the psychology of groups

Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

Human behavior is complicated— simple as that. There are copious psychologists that attempt to unlock our unconscious mind. Still, the mind is as enigmatic as ever.

While neurologists and psychologists strive to understand individual behavior, it appears that crowd behavior is in a different league.

Crowds function independently of their component parts. Although a crowd is a collection of individuals, it is an entity unto itself and able to function independently — to control and be controlled.

Protests

What happens when a group of likeminded, people at the steps of the Capitol Building, or outside a stadium? A crowd forms.

In January, we witnessed crowds of anti-vax protests at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California and an insurrection attempt in Washington, D.C..

Cause and conviction

But crowds aren’t always extremist, violent or out for blood — although, the recent right-wing protests do bear a resemblance to the loathsome lynch mobs of previous decades.

Crowds need a leader, or some force to guide them. Being a person of conviction can be an inspirational thing. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a leader and…