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Пишет Journal de Chaource (![[info]](http://lj.rossia.org/img/syndicated.gif){kind=small} lj_chaource)@ 2021-10-29 09:59:00 |
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"Mass formation"
An interesting interview with a psychologist who studies the psychology of masses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLDpZ8da
To summarize:
The process of "mass formation" means that there forms a certain significant minority or even majority of people that start behaving insanely, as if hypnotized by a certain narrative spread by the mass media. The narrative is that some kind of pervasive "enemy of the people" is now present and we should now all fight the "enemy". It does not matter whether the enemy is really as dangerous as it is portrayed, and it does not matter if the narrative requires you do to absurd things, as if performing rituals.
Why do people get into this frame of mind? Because people experience a lack of social connectivity, a lack of making sense in life (their job makes no sense, their personal life is empty, etc.), people experience a sense of anxiety that is not focused on anything specific, and people feel aggression that is not focused on anything specific. Giving people an "enemy" in this situation brings more social connectedness and meaning to their lives, and gives a focus to their anxiety and aggression. People cling to the narrative and imagine themselves psychologically in a better place. Having achieved psychological comfort, they can go on with their lives.
The main examples cited in this interview are the totalitarian (national and international socialist) states in the 20th century, and the current covid panic.
But I would actually add the pre-covid hysteria about racism and the dangers of the "extreme right" to the list of examples of a "mass formation".
There are some important practical consequences and predictions of this theory.
A "mass formation" means that:
1. People become insensitive to personal losses, become ready to sacrifice their own comfort if it helps to combat the "enemy". People also become insensitive to losses to the society as a whole. It is tolerated that the society may become broken or dysfunctional in important ways (e.g., the breakdown of the economy and of the healthcare due to the covid sanctions).
2. People become quite intolerant of any dissonant voices or alternative opinions that contradict the "enemy" narrative. People will then easily approve of cruel measures against dissidents.
3. When opposition is silenced, the ruling elites become even more cruel and oppressive, as they need to invent an opposition in order to keep the battle going. ("The class struggle intensifies as our socialist socity gets closer to achieving communism.") This is different from an ordinary dictatorship where the dictator becomes less cruel when opposition is crushed.
4. Because of this, it is important to keep speaking out against the narrative. This does not stop the mass formation but this will prevent it from becoming insanely cruel or even genocidal.
5. There are about 30% of people who are deeply indoctrinated and go 100% sincerely with the narrative, 40% of people who are not hypnotized but passively accept what is imposed on them, and the rest 30% of people who are not hypnotized and speak out against the narrative. But the 30% of the dissidents are made up of very disparate people, they are not unified in any natural way. If they manage to unify, they can stop the mass formation.
6. People of high educational level are significantly more prone to mass formation. Their high intelligence is then decreased when they are in the mass formation, and they are not capable of analyzing the "enemy" narrative.
P.S. A forum for covid-skeptics took place in July 2021:
https://www.youtube.com/c/QuestionEveryt
An interesting interview with a psychologist who studies the psychology of masses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLDpZ8da
To summarize:
The process of "mass formation" means that there forms a certain significant minority or even majority of people that start behaving insanely, as if hypnotized by a certain narrative spread by the mass media. The narrative is that some kind of pervasive "enemy of the people" is now present and we should now all fight the "enemy". It does not matter whether the enemy is really as dangerous as it is portrayed, and it does not matter if the narrative requires you do to absurd things, as if performing rituals.
Why do people get into this frame of mind? Because people experience a lack of social connectivity, a lack of making sense in life (their job makes no sense, their personal life is empty, etc.), people experience a sense of anxiety that is not focused on anything specific, and people feel aggression that is not focused on anything specific. Giving people an "enemy" in this situation brings more social connectedness and meaning to their lives, and gives a focus to their anxiety and aggression. People cling to the narrative and imagine themselves psychologically in a better place. Having achieved psychological comfort, they can go on with their lives.
The main examples cited in this interview are the totalitarian (national and international socialist) states in the 20th century, and the current covid panic.
But I would actually add the pre-covid hysteria about racism and the dangers of the "extreme right" to the list of examples of a "mass formation".
There are some important practical consequences and predictions of this theory.
A "mass formation" means that:
1. People become insensitive to personal losses, become ready to sacrifice their own comfort if it helps to combat the "enemy". People also become insensitive to losses to the society as a whole. It is tolerated that the society may become broken or dysfunctional in important ways (e.g., the breakdown of the economy and of the healthcare due to the covid sanctions).
2. People become quite intolerant of any dissonant voices or alternative opinions that contradict the "enemy" narrative. People will then easily approve of cruel measures against dissidents.
3. When opposition is silenced, the ruling elites become even more cruel and oppressive, as they need to invent an opposition in order to keep the battle going. ("The class struggle intensifies as our socialist socity gets closer to achieving communism.") This is different from an ordinary dictatorship where the dictator becomes less cruel when opposition is crushed.
4. Because of this, it is important to keep speaking out against the narrative. This does not stop the mass formation but this will prevent it from becoming insanely cruel or even genocidal.
5. There are about 30% of people who are deeply indoctrinated and go 100% sincerely with the narrative, 40% of people who are not hypnotized but passively accept what is imposed on them, and the rest 30% of people who are not hypnotized and speak out against the narrative. But the 30% of the dissidents are made up of very disparate people, they are not unified in any natural way. If they manage to unify, they can stop the mass formation.
6. People of high educational level are significantly more prone to mass formation. Their high intelligence is then decreased when they are in the mass formation, and they are not capable of analyzing the "enemy" narrative.
P.S. A forum for covid-skeptics took place in July 2021:
https://www.youtube.com/c/QuestionEveryt
