We human beings are social creatures that influence, care about and follow one another. We can cooperate and act as a team. But we are also cultural creatures that learn from one another. We learn most effectively by watching other people. It matters to us what other people say and think and do.
Our social nature makes us look to others for signs of what to believe or how to act in a certain situation, especially during moments of uncertainty. This is why we often see a group of bystanders fail to take action when someone needs help because members of the group see that nobody else is doing anything. Part of what makes us fail to take necessary action when others are doing nothing is that to act against the crowd takes courage. Courage requires two main things: managing fear and deciding to act.
We’re also more inclined to follow the crowd when the crowd is big. We are much more influenced by people who are similar to us. This is the power of peer pressure, and it’s more powerful than usually acknowledged. We’re also vulnerable to obedience to authority. The trouble comes when someone is using this tendency to manipulate us or the situation calls for bold, independent action.
The most important thing we can do to counter the negative effects of our social nature is to be aware of it. Recognize that we influence one another significantly, and pay attention to situations in which we are manipulated. It is not an easy skill but like any other skill, we can improve it by practicing. For example, try to identify manipulations in advertisements and realise when you feel affected by them. Then decide what you want to do about them. Think of any social influence that you regret having followed in the past and practice in your mind what you will do differently the next time.
Our social nature is one of our strengths as human beings. But another is our ability to think independently and critically. The key to mastering these is knowing when and how to use each strength in the right way.
Sven Franssen