There are many different terms used to describe people following the pack, and in this particular blog post I will refer to this as Herd Mentality. People tend to follow the herd, because we are programmed to be non confrontational (for the most part). According to psych central, in larger groups as little as 5% of the group can sway the other 95% to follow their lead (http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/02/15/herd-mentality-explained/1922.html). This is important, because it doesn't take many people to bring change, but it is extremely important to have numbers or people may not listen to what you have to say. The herd mentality is extremely powerful, as it can make people compromise their values, lose the ability to critically think, or worst of all, become violent.
Herd Mentality as defined by Wikipedia: Herd mentality, or mob mentality, describes how people are influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors. Examples of the herd mentality include stock market trends, superstition and home décor. Social psychologists study the related topics of group intelligence, crowd wisdom, and decentralized decision making. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_mentality)
Have you ever been hanging out with a group of friends and picked on someone because everyone else was doing it? You know it is wrong to bully others, and normally you would never bully if you were by yourself, but now that you are with these other people, do you find yourself joining in? This is a completely normal response, because you don't want the herd to turn their negative attention toward you. Whether your fear of the group is rational or not, human beings are programmed to survive by avoiding confrontation and pain. Our subconscious takes over, and we begin to exhibit unusual behaviors based on our survival traits.
Does MLM use herd mentality to their advantage??? Unquestionably yes! MLMs thrive on forming people to fit a particular image or stereotype causing extreme discomfort for people trying to rebel. This is why they teach people to look the same by dressing in their suits, act the same by never talking about or bringing up negativity, and to listen to the designated upline. It is easier to convince someone or prove legitimacy if there are more people involved and they all look and act the same way. Once a group is formed, it becomes extremely difficult for a prospect or a lower member of the MLM to challenge the instructions or information they are given, because they do not want to make the herd mad. MLM's thrive on the downline's basic programming to survive and yearning to be a member of the group. This gives the MLM and uplines much more authority and power.
This also is a reason for why people don't report abuse from MLM. MLM is big and daunting, and the group is very cohesive. If MLM chooses to bring you into their group, it is exhilarating because there are many people love bombing, recognizing, and appreciating your existence. However, that can also be reversed, and you can be the subject to extreme ridicule or worse because of the cohesiveness of the group. It is much easier, and healthier for the downline or prospect to simply walk away and never return.
Herd Mentality as defined by Wikipedia: Herd mentality, or mob mentality, describes how people are influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors. Examples of the herd mentality include stock market trends, superstition and home décor. Social psychologists study the related topics of group intelligence, crowd wisdom, and decentralized decision making. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_mentality)
Have you ever been hanging out with a group of friends and picked on someone because everyone else was doing it? You know it is wrong to bully others, and normally you would never bully if you were by yourself, but now that you are with these other people, do you find yourself joining in? This is a completely normal response, because you don't want the herd to turn their negative attention toward you. Whether your fear of the group is rational or not, human beings are programmed to survive by avoiding confrontation and pain. Our subconscious takes over, and we begin to exhibit unusual behaviors based on our survival traits.
Does MLM use herd mentality to their advantage??? Unquestionably yes! MLMs thrive on forming people to fit a particular image or stereotype causing extreme discomfort for people trying to rebel. This is why they teach people to look the same by dressing in their suits, act the same by never talking about or bringing up negativity, and to listen to the designated upline. It is easier to convince someone or prove legitimacy if there are more people involved and they all look and act the same way. Once a group is formed, it becomes extremely difficult for a prospect or a lower member of the MLM to challenge the instructions or information they are given, because they do not want to make the herd mad. MLM's thrive on the downline's basic programming to survive and yearning to be a member of the group. This gives the MLM and uplines much more authority and power.
This also is a reason for why people don't report abuse from MLM. MLM is big and daunting, and the group is very cohesive. If MLM chooses to bring you into their group, it is exhilarating because there are many people love bombing, recognizing, and appreciating your existence. However, that can also be reversed, and you can be the subject to extreme ridicule or worse because of the cohesiveness of the group. It is much easier, and healthier for the downline or prospect to simply walk away and never return.
It's ironic that they tout the business as you will be an "independent" business owner, but the reality is that you're part of the herd of people being sold on following a "system" that makes the diamonds wealthy at your expense.
ReplyDeleteWell put! You have a nice example of the inconsistencies MLM leaders have with the words they use versus the methods practiced. It's all about being an "independent" business owner as you put it, but it is also about duplication and being indistinguishable from the rest of the group...it definitely doesn't make sense.
DeleteAmway is more regimented and conformist than the Communist Party.
Delete