The term herd, also known as a crowd, can refer to both a group of animals and people. Essentially, herd behavior occurs when a group of people make decisions together based on their opinion. Herd behavior is usually compared to society, because if one does not follow what others do, they might be cast off from society, and not fit in. It is often a good thing to be different, but when people are willing to discriminate against someone because they are different, this term is not exactly appreciated. We can almost regard ‘herd behavior’ as fitting in, because it has been adapted over the years that if people just act as a crowd, no one will be different and no one will stand out. Herd behavior was originally a term used for groups of animals, but over the years, as the modern society starts having harsher criticisms, people just thought it was better to blend in. After all, our society is not much different from herds. Fitting in can come in many forms, whether it is about having ‘trending’ clothes, or having a biased view on something because of the crowd. But why do people do it? Why does everyone try so hard to fit in?
Pressure is something that exists in everyone’s life, and as a society, without even realizing it, we are pressuring others to fit in with us. No one really wants to be rejected by society, and the only way to be accepted might be to change ourselves based on the society’s viewpoints. Just like how gendered practice was normalized by society, people who didn’t follow these expectations would be cast off from society. Women would get hated on if they were too chubby, too skinny, their hair was too long, their hair was too short, wearing too much makeup, not wearing enough makeup, etc… Some people follow the crowd simply because of our society, and how much it's pressuring them. Society’s standards have become very hard to live up to, but in order to fit in, it’s much easier to just follow the crowd instead of having one’s unique viewpoints. Just like the fear of being rejected from society, many people are scared of being cancelled online. This means that people will follow the crowd on opinions, trends, etc…because of the fear that they feel, not knowing what their place in society will be if they didn’t follow the herd.
Thinking for ourselves is often hard and more problematic to do than just thinking as a crowd. Crowds offer us protection, just like NATO, where the countries protect each other and think as a crowd. We may not receive this protection if we stood out. Sometimes, when facing problems that are hard to deal with, it’s just easier to follow the crowd. Following the crowd is like taking advice, because the crowd has basically already offered the solution. Making decisions like who to support when it comes to political voting can be hard, and people are able to see the majority of others’ decisions, which can help them make their own. Usually, the crowd is right, and the opinion that is the most popular is usually a well-based opinion. Sometimes, when we don’t know what to do, we would just do what the majority does because it’s easier, and there won’t be as many problems with people getting mad at others, because it’s basically the crowd’s decision. Ever since social media started becoming popular, thinking as a society instead of individually became more normalized, because fewer people would face the struggle of making decisions that might be controversial.
Our natural instincts come with us everywhere, whether we realize it or not. It is human instinct to find themselves a group, and to let that group tell us what to do. Our brains naturally process the information that we are given, and believe that it is true. Sometimes, many people follow the crowd without even realizing it. Some people hear what others are saying, and their brains process that information so that they think of it later on. The more someone sees or hears a certain thing, the clearer it will be in their minds. This means that if a piece of information is registered continually in one’s brain, they will be more likely to listen to this information, therefore following the crowd. Although this is not always why people follow the crowd, some people can do it because it is their natural instinct, and not necessarily out of pressure. Just like how most animals have a clan, most humans have a group that they would follow the trends and opinions of, because that’s simply how the human mind works.
Most people in this world belong to a community that they rely on for opinions, information, trends, etc…Although some communities can influence people to lose their individuality, many others actually help these people feel safer, by being able to fit in and to know what others are thinking. According to recent articles, the majority of trending information shared by communities are actually true and well-based. This means that following the crowd usually guarantees a good outcome. There are many things that we should watch out for when following the crowd, which is to not forget who we truly are, and to not let the information that we are given impact our individuality too much. Everyone has different preferences, and it’s completely fine to want to follow trends and follow the crowd, but we shouldn’t let society pressure us into changing who we are. It should be a choice to follow the crowd, not an obligation, and although there might be a trend that most people are doing, it doesn’t mean we have to do it as well. Following the crowd is often viewed as a good thing, but we should never let it impact our individuality.
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