Don’t Follow the Crowd
The Body of Abel Found by Adam and Eve by William Blake, c. 1825 (public domain - Artchive)
“What wrath of gods, or wicked influence
Of tears, conspiring wretched men t’ afflict,
Hath pour’d on earth this noyous pestilence
That mortal minds doth inwardly infect
With love of blindness and of ignorance?”
If you understand human nature, you know people respond to emotion over logic.
That’s not to say that we’re incapable of being logical; just that our gut reaction is to follow our emotions.
Individually, we may be nervous or uncertain. But crowds induce panic.
While James Surowiecki may convince us of The Wisdom of Crowds, it’s even easier to see the folly of crowds as we watch lemming-like behavior take hold, thanks to the instantaneous connection of people online, spurred on by any number of things.
This isn’t new. In 1841, Charles Mackay wrote Extraordinary Popular Delusions & the Madness of Crowds (free link via Gutenberg).
From the Preface:
“In reading the history of nations, we find that, like individuals, they have their whims and their peculiarities; their seasons of excitement and recklessness, when they care not what they do. We find that whole communities suddenly fix their minds upon one object, and go mad in its pursuit; that millions of people become simultaneously impressed with one delusion, and run after it, till their attention is caught by some new folly more captivating than the first. We see one nation suddenly seized, from its highest to its lowest members, with a fierce desire of military glory; another as suddenly becoming crazed upon a religious scruple; and neither of them recovering its senses until it has shed rivers of blood and sowed a harvest of groans and tears, to be reaped by its posterity.”
Your job, as a leader of your people and as an example to others, is to maintain a level head and keep a steady course.
Yes, there will be disruptive conditions and unexpected events, but with a clear and compelling vision, consistent communication, and an acknowledgment of reality, you’ll be able to keep things from veering off course.
Know who you are. Stay true to your values. Never waver.
There’s so much to learn,
