According to Gustav Le Bon, individuals, relieved of individual responsibility, will behave in a more primal fashion. He asserts, 'by the mere fact that the individual becomes part of an organized crowd, a man descends several rungs on the ladder of civilization.'
Thank you for this stellar synopsis from a psychological perspective, Em! I’ve been devouring Gustave Le Bon books lately and highlighting nearly every passage.
The concept of group narcissism alone is exceptionally helpful, and inducing that destructive collectivist mindset has been one of the greatest achievements of the propagandists.
I also appreciate your tactical suggestions for defeating the regressive mentality. Maybe I’ll try that approach in a future entry in my Letters series.
The vaccines have killed thousands of people and have caused 10s of thousands adverse effects. More people have died from this vaccine then all the other vaccines put together. - Do you have source data for these claims?
I'm interested because I have many family members that are subjects of the mass formation psychosis. I want to save them, but they dismiss my position as unscientific and not backed by any reputable data.
I have started looking at group narcissism beyond the scope of the pandemic but also in a number of social problems as well. The groups, act out the same gaslighting, delusions, etc as individuals, equally responding with increasingly hostile and eventually violent actions when those delusions are challenged or violated.
I agree with you that what we're involved in today is what Mattias Desmet calls "mass formation."
I think your analysis of Desmet's thinking is pretty reasonable.
I agree that we cannot take the official narrative's talking points head on - the advocates are completely resistant to that.
I think we also agree that (1) we need to blunt this evolution before it becomes full-fledged totalitarianism, and (2) to be effective in challenging that, we need to somehow bypass those barriers (to reason and logical arguments).
Your approach, if I get it correctly, is to take a particular narrative talking point and exaggerate it, carrying it to the extreme.
I'm concerned that this will be taken as ridicule and flatly rejected.
I have developed and am exploring (with pro-vaccine friends) a different approach, which I'd like to share with you.
However, this is a discussion that is difficult to do as comments to your post.
If you're interested in a dialogue on this, you have my email and I'd be very interested in hearing from you.
Ah, para dox. In the winter, it's good to have a para dox, and a warm coat.
Seriously, I just watched the movie
Rhinoceros
1973 Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel
https://youtu.be/7B0VPLEmdDQ
Please, if you have a minute, it is well worth it.
Thank you for this stellar synopsis from a psychological perspective, Em! I’ve been devouring Gustave Le Bon books lately and highlighting nearly every passage.
The concept of group narcissism alone is exceptionally helpful, and inducing that destructive collectivist mindset has been one of the greatest achievements of the propagandists.
I also appreciate your tactical suggestions for defeating the regressive mentality. Maybe I’ll try that approach in a future entry in my Letters series.
The vaccines have killed thousands of people and have caused 10s of thousands adverse effects. More people have died from this vaccine then all the other vaccines put together. - Do you have source data for these claims?
I'm interested because I have many family members that are subjects of the mass formation psychosis. I want to save them, but they dismiss my position as unscientific and not backed by any reputable data.
I have started looking at group narcissism beyond the scope of the pandemic but also in a number of social problems as well. The groups, act out the same gaslighting, delusions, etc as individuals, equally responding with increasingly hostile and eventually violent actions when those delusions are challenged or violated.
Wonderful post, thank you Em.
I agree with you that what we're involved in today is what Mattias Desmet calls "mass formation."
I think your analysis of Desmet's thinking is pretty reasonable.
I agree that we cannot take the official narrative's talking points head on - the advocates are completely resistant to that.
I think we also agree that (1) we need to blunt this evolution before it becomes full-fledged totalitarianism, and (2) to be effective in challenging that, we need to somehow bypass those barriers (to reason and logical arguments).
Your approach, if I get it correctly, is to take a particular narrative talking point and exaggerate it, carrying it to the extreme.
I'm concerned that this will be taken as ridicule and flatly rejected.
I have developed and am exploring (with pro-vaccine friends) a different approach, which I'd like to share with you.
However, this is a discussion that is difficult to do as comments to your post.
If you're interested in a dialogue on this, you have my email and I'd be very interested in hearing from you.
Regards,
Terry Steichen