There’s a lot of food for thought in the video at the bottom of this post. Still, the hackneyed call to NOT GIVE IN to “groupthink” or “the herd” doesn’t stand up to critical examination. It feels like an intellectual shortcut – maybe even a copout.
Our capacity for peer emulation is not new. It is BOTH a BUG AND a FEATURE that has been one of the greatest strengths of our species. Likewise, our ability to automate some of our behavior so we can focus our brains’ precious critical thinking resources (and energy) on dealing with meaningful issues is also a feature.
That said, our twin tendencies to emulate each other and automate behavior DO MAKE US ALL vulnerable to manipulation by those who understand the dynamics of social learning, group identity formation and behavioral automation.
The enemy of critical thinking is not the herd itself nor our vulnerability to group think, but rather our tendency to forget that there are people out there who are constantly trying to use (and sometimes abuse) their understanding of group dynamics to induce us to follow each other toward purposes THEY have chosen for us. One good use of your critical thinking abilities is learning who is driving the herd toward what purposes.
Some might even call this leadership.
There has always been and always will be a herd. The question is who is going to choose to lead the herd toward what purpose?
Leading doesn’t have to be manipulative. You CAN lead AND respect the agency of those who are amenable to following.
Perhaps you don’t need to “resist the herd” so much as to engage with its members WHILE maintaining enough cognitive distance to stay grounded so you can apply your critical thinking abilities in ways that nudge your peers to make better use of their own critical thinking abilities.
Consciously engaging your critical thinking abilities to work with – AKA “lead” – the herd can be a daunting task. It requires you to be centered, calm and positive – even as you assert your prerogative to think and act differently from your peers. Creating distance from your peers can entail an emotional burden, and that emotional burden can interfere with your ability to think critically. Leading isn’t easy.
Nonetheless, using your critical thinking abilities to bring the best out of the herd is a worthy cause. It may also be the only viable option for those who truly believe that critical thinking by individuals is the foundation of a good life and thriving society.
Perhaps our mission should be to lead a herd in which we each regularly nudge others to think more deeply and carefully while simultaneously opening our hearts and minds to fellow herd members who nudge us to do the same.
In the space between you and me awaits all that will ever be.
Because I am there for myself, I can be MORE for you. By being there for you I CREATE/DISCOVER MORE of myself.
Agency (主体性) + Purpose (志) + Growth (成長) + Connection (繋がり) + Contribution (貢献) = Meaning (意義)
© Dana Cogan, 2025, all rights reserved.