Are people a herd animal or are they naturally individuals? | Forum

There is no real difference between pack or herd mentality other than pack has a more violent meaning than herd. It's also like some prefer to be called a group or club and not a gang or mob.

Semantics (playing with the meaning of words) is something I enjoy. I was at a place not long ago that had a saying on the wall that was aimed at being an inspirational line. It said “obstacles are just challenges on your path”. I addressed the person at the desk “so this mean speed bumps and traffic lights are a challenge and not an obstacle”. I found it even funnier when she took me seriously.

So I was playing the semantics game with the pack mentality vs herd mentality.

Group talk is often used to try and give more power to what is said. It can have hilarious outcomes when questioned.

Group talk is an interesting part of the herd mentality. Sometimes it is as simple as using “we” or “us” when talking about a topic. Other times the speaker goes all out by saying “all <add group here>” or simply “everyone”. From what I can work out the basic idea is to add others to your side in a topic in a hope of making it look more popular and stronger than if it was just “I” or “myself”.

I am not counting groups that actually asked their members and then speak about the outcomes and popularity (unless the facts get warped).

The part of this that needs to be looked at first is when the idea that a group size is used to symbolise correctness. Popularity should have nothing to do with if a topic focus is correct or flawed unless your ordering pizza or something.

Frater, You may want to re-read your post as that is one hell of an Freudian slip. I near spat my coffee over the screen. Thank you for the laugh any way.

Frater is either on some serious peyote like experience where no matter the topic he carries what ever topic he wants in the direction he wants (regardless to the actual topic happening),,, or he does not understand what was said and adds random sayings as he goes along?

Statements like “knowledge is never dangerous” are things that may be interesting to find his reasoning (if there is any) but as so many other questions have been avoided or skirted it may not be worth the bother.

scientific studies show that people are mostly followers. But There are those who go against the grain. Like us.

Is a human a herd animal I would have to say yes because people want structure like a job so they can pay their bills and after that the can spend their money during their free time not everyone does this but most do and if you stop doing these things then you learn quickly that you won't have a place to live or have material possessions of course there are people who dont work and have things but most people have to go to work so if you say I want to do what I want to do then you will see the herd mentality and it's kinda in your face your not doing what the rest of the herd doing so your not part of the herd or society it's really about survival 

Quote from FraterLuciferi

Quote from neyamikoBut There are those who go against the grain. Like us.

Actually not. The goat is rebellious but still a herd beast...

I'm not real sure what a goat has to do with what I said. Goats are pretty cool. Alpacas are cooler. They spit on people. Hilarious.

actually I'm not sure that "herd" is the correct term since humans are primates. We live in large social groups.

I've picked the wrong goat avatar to jump into this conversation. Whoops.

I personally struggle with Individuality because even I don't want to deal with my own bull shit. So I'll play sheep [or goat] until I start treading uncomfortable waters or if I believe something needs to be stood up against. Sometimes it's easier to be part of the herd and not get hurt than to stand out and cause a scene and lose credibility with those you love. The counter argument being if those you love don't accept what you are then they don't love you - but I feel there are some ideas that should be practiced in different crowds, and play sheep until it's safe to take the damn mask off.