The way a crowd behaves is mysterious

R

Rose65

Well-known Member
Location
United Kingdom
The way a crowd behaves is very different from how individuals do. I came across a phenomenon called The Bystander Effect, which means the more people are witness to an incident, the less likely anyone is to help.
A crowd does things individuals would never do.

So it makes you think, is a crowd governed by a kind of collective mind? A chanting crowd becomes a giant voice. Very strange.

Do you feel different in a crowd? All I know is I don't like being in a crowd.
 

I think a lot of people who got stuck behind communism were afraid to speak up. So they went along. When my mother went back to East Germany after the wall came down, she said she went for a walk with her niece who pointed to a house and stated the man who lived there used to be a big mouth for the communist party. Then she smiled and said "don't hear from him anymore."
 
Remy said:
I've been a victim of a crowd mentality.

I remember years ago when MTV did that Woodstock redo. Someone I knew stated how she would love to go. I said no, it's not going to end well and I was right. Somehow I knew the mob mentality would take over.
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Karl Jung believed there was something incomprehensible in the 'Mob Mentality', something buried deep in the human psyche. He advised his patients not to dwell on their loss of control, that it simply happened sometimes and they were not responsible. Otherwise, he said, they would be unnecessarily frightened and demoralized. --Paraphrased.
 
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A behavior I've seen some times that reflects sheepish group behavior conflicting with otherwise common sense is at large urban events where finding parking is difficult. One will drive along and see usual areas police have signed off on streets as no parking zones. But if it so happens that even one person then parks in a no parking zone, others wondering if it really may be ok, instead of using common sense join the one car. Then if more cars park in said nada zone, it will tend to convince more from crowd behavior that otherwise are afraid to think for themselves. As a result a bunch of traffic tickets taped to windshields despite street signage NO PARKING. Of course, they understood the words but were mentally overruled by crowd instinct.
 
Just heard of an experiment where a group of 6 people were shown two lines. One was definitely longer than the other. Five people were plants and only the one fellow was the subject. The five voted that the shorter line was the longer one. The subject said it wasnā€™t. By the third vote, the subject said the short line was the longer one.
 
See this dated thread has been resurrected.

I as a strongly independent thinking person don't tend to follow others. I have never had issues in any size of crowds including not being afraid. Actually in crowds given my strong confident voice, am quick to speak out. That noted, am also aware of when it is wise to clam up staying quiet.

What is true is, I don't trust how a majority of ordinary people think. More than just raw intelligence or education and rather a matter of being able to think logically, rationally, including problem solving that one builds up over an adult lifetime via neural plasticity. Neither do I tend to follow group mindsets that is really what the OP is noticing. Much media political persuasion today tends to try and affect the large numbers of sheepish people that don't think well by themselves and are quick to follow what others are doing or thinking. Just like in my earlier post on this thread. Thus if political person X becomes popular, such people are quick to follow the mob.

In corporate environments where people and management have frequent group meetings, the above plays out in how some people including some highly intelligent people rarely speak out in groups and if they need to discuss a subject are far more likely to later meet others one on one to discuss whatever. Such people are quick to hide information from groups and are afraid of working with open individuals like this person.
 
I went to the Newport Jazz Festival in 1960. I was 23. A riot broke out and Marshall Law was declared. Some without tickets had tried to get in by breaking through a fence. Crowds were dispersed with tear gas. It seemed like overkill. The town shut down but the Navy widow where we stayed had connections and called in supplies, and we had a party.
 
Jules said:
Just heard of an experiment where a group of 6 people were shown two lines. One was definitely longer than the other. Five people were plants and only the one fellow was the subject. The five voted that the shorter line was the longer one. The subject said it wasnā€™t. By the third vote, the subject said the short line was the longer one.
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I can certainly believe this...we see it daily.
 
At a deep basic level, humans are a fearful lot. And all this is because most of us are governed by a self-fabricated identity story called the ego. All our fears come from it, and it, the ego, is basically nothing more than a story _ fictitious / invalid. That is why the ego is so busy maintaining a sense of validity (not through truth but by self-deception).

In regards to crowds, 'conformity' plays a major role. Comformity is an ego fear of not being accepted (validated) by others. It takes courage to stand alone with the truth while everybody else in the crowd opts for what is easy instead of what is right.

The mysterious behaviours are those that are conditional, for they are fear based, based on deception and not on what is true. Pure truth, love and faith are unconditional. When unconditional, everything becomes clear, liberating, and doubtless. In other words, fearless.
 
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During my training to become an Auxiliary Police Constable here in Toronto in the early 1980's our class was required to attend a day long program on "riot control techniques " one of the primary points that was repeated over and over was.... "Look out for the leaders in the crowd, they will drive the actions of the many ".

Being the kind of person who asks questions, I asked the training SGT what a potential riot leader looks like "? His answer was "the ones at the back, throwing rocks and bottles, using the crowd as a shield , and they will also be the loudest voices ".

The training was simple, all ways leave a potential exit point for the crowd to disperse through. Arrest those who actually attack police officers, and or others. Remove any facial masks or disguises, immediately after they were arrested, and take their photographs while they are being restrained by officers, for future court evidence. Use slow measured steps in the advance, use a second unit, to quietly come up behind the main group and close off the retreat route except for one pathway. Advise the group to "Leave the area or you will be arrested by Police ".

In Canada, Police dogs are not allowed to be used in crowd control measures, but they can be present, but wearing muzzles. Police horses are one of the very best riot/crowd control measures. It is a rare human who will stand still when a 1200 pound horse is moving sideways through a crowd. The mounted officer also has an elevated view over the heads of the crowd, and can report via radio what he sees to his supervisor.

Mounted officers usually work in pairs or fours. Breaking up groups is one tactic amongst many that can be used. The use of less than lethal weapons are restricted in Canada, and in general they will only be deployed as a last resort . Having them present, and clearly evident is a standard tactic to show the crowd what "could happen " if things get too far out of hand . JimB.
 

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