The other day, while I was reading an article, I came across this sentence, don’t follow the herd, let the herd follow you and it caught my interest because I feel like I’ve been a victim of this herd mentality so many times. There have been times where knowingly and unknowingly, I’ve ended up doing things just because everyone else was doing it. It took me back to the time when I gave up my dance classes because all my friends stopped coming for them. “I was really good at it but I didn’t want to be left out” And this happens to all of us.
Have you ever been a victim of this mentality?
Think about it. Have you ever found yourself agreeing to the majority when it comes to voicing your opinions? Do you sometimes find yourself relying on your friends, parents, or colleagues when it comes to making important decisions in your life? Do you feel it would be embarrassing to do things that are out of the box?
If you found yourself saying yes to any of these, then you’ve been part of the herd mentality like the rest of us. This is true for most people and yet we find it hard to break these norms set by society.
Denying to agree upon something that 9 out of 10 people agree upon makes our brain so uncomfortable that logic and reasoning take a backseat and we feel safer being part of the majority.
The idea of following the herd is soothing as it eliminates the fear of the unknown. And because of this, people believe that it’s an easy way out. You don’t need to think. No need to put pressure on yourself. You just have to follow. And if things go wrong, it’s easier to say that everyone else failed as well.
What is stopping us from breaking out?
We’re all guilty of falling into this trap. When we choose to follow the herd mentality, we often mimic decisions that other people have taken and those decisions have nothing to do with what we really want. This would never give us the satisfaction we seek because we just do what everyone expects us to do. A million voices in your head will cram you to an extent where you can’t listen to yourself anymore.
The biggest reason why most of us find it hard to make a decision is that we’re afraid that if we fail, everyone would mock us for trying something that is different. But you know, it may turn out better than you imagined. You don’t have to be scared. I know you might say that breaking off from a herd is easier said than done. It’s true. But do you want to blend in or do you want to stand out?
Albert Einstein, who formulated the theory of relativity, was greatly mocked by his classmates and teachers alike for asking unwanted questions during class. He was always different from the rest of his class because he was brave enough to question things when everyone else was taught to learn as they were told. He did not want to be spoon-fed like the rest of his class.
Become a leader of your own herd.
In the beginning, when you split away from the herd, it might be lonely and scary. It may even take time for people to notice you. But once you keep at it, you will eventually be leading the pack, and everyone that once criticized you will be spreading your name.
It goes without saying that you don’t need to have a different opinion on everything there is. You don’t have to go against everything your friend says because you want to be different. You don’t have to put stories on everything happening around the world taking sides of the majority or minority. What’s important is that you are in the driver’s seat of your own life and are steering it with your own actions and habits.
It’s not really about finding happiness but living your life under your own principles and sense of truth, for even in a crowd, you can be alone.
Sometimes, we end up following the herd because of what celebrities and influencers preach. They lead a life of illusion as they have to maintain a standard. Following their footsteps like blind sheep is just a marketing gimmick. Find out more by reading the article How Much Of Your Life Is Influenced By Celebrities.
Sometimes, it’s your friends who influence you. You feel like if you do what you want, you will end up being left out and isolated. Understand how they influence you here – You Become Who You Surround Yourself With.
You can find audio narration of this blog as an independent episode in my podcast – Within 5 Minutes
If you’d like to listen to the podcast in a streaming platform, you can find it here – https://linktr.ee/hacchuu
