Mob mentality — sometimes also called herd or hive mentality — is the inclination that humans have to be part of a large group, neglecting their individual feelings in the process, and adopting the behaviors and actions of the collective.
Interested in how this concept manifests in everyday life, Reddit user AdmirableFlow made a post on the platform, asking everyone: "What's the most severe case of mass stupidity you've ever witnessed?"
As of now, the question has received over 4.1K comments, so compiled those that stood out and invite you to learn more about the challenges of maintaining critical thinking.
The January 6th Assault on the Capitol was probably the most severe case of mass stupidity I've seen in my lifetime.
Not even talking politically.
There were idiots climbing walls when there were accessible stairs nearby. Most of these idiots thought they wouldn't meet any police resistance.
They acted as if their attempted coup would be met with smiling cops and clapping congresspeople, thanking them for their service or something.Probably get downvoted to hell for it, but widespread continued use of single-use plastics. It's insane. We know these things end up in the oceans and in the food chain (and therefore inside us) but we keep using them all the same. Future generations are going to hate us for this.People that keep insisting Elon Musk is a genius.Taking private jets to a conference about climate change.Any of the hundreds of megachurches across the world.The rise of Qanon and the Flat Earth Society.Anti-vaxers dying in hospitals screaming, “Tell me what I’ve got!! Covid doesn’t exist!!”70 million people in the US voted for a completely unqualified person for President - TWICE.Anti-vaxxers by far. I find it rather ironic that people can discount things like vaccines because vaccines have created a world where kids aren't dying left and right from childhood illnesses. I am not aware of any antivaxxers existing when the Polio vaccine came out because Polio was a horror show.People wearing a mask, but UNDER the nose. How dumb is that?During the Canadian trucker freedom rally, watching the mass of people protest and getting mad about their “2nd Amendment rights”. I’m like 90% sure that the Canadian 2nd Amendment is recognizing Manitoba as a province….. not the right to bear arms like our southerly neighbours.Andrew Tate d**kriders.Scientology.The rich ones at the top are just in for the tax dodge. A lot of the ones below them are in it thinking they can shmooze with the rich ones at the top and become one of them some days. So yea dumb but with a layer of greed involved.Those public challenges that CLEARLY risk health, i.e., "the tide pod challenge." Next time, just let things sort themselves out of their own. We can use less idiots in the world.
The ice bucket challenge was at least kind of cute and DID give ALS a lot of media attention/awareness and raised a lot of money.My generation, raised knowing how absolutely awful smoking is, excessively vaping.Climate change deniers.The rise of the anti-vaccine crowd. Or generally the growing anti-science mindset in our culture.
So many people dead...Every time I see a video of someone being beat up, or in some sort of bad/dangerous situation and everyone is just standing around recording instead of helping.My local parks playground has a push gate. EVERYDAY I watch grown adults stare at it for like 20 seconds then go "I think it's locked is there another one?" To which I walk up and...... Push the gate open. What annoys me about this is they want to catch an attitude like I'm an ahole for it.Half the GOP thinking Joe Biden somehow stole an election. And they're still at it!People who ingested bleach because they thought it would keep them safe from Covid.Someone I knew awhile ago had a theft record a mile long. One time, she went in front of the judge, who told her "You know, every time you've appeared in front of me, you've denied stealing. They have you on camera, clearly walking out of the store with unpaid merchandise. So, here's what we're going to do: you can admit you did it this time, and I'll let you walk out of here today, with probation. If you still deny it, then I'll sentence you to 90 days right here, right now".
Now, her attorney looked at her and said three words: "Take the deal". She said something back, shaking her head. Her attorney then looked at the judge, and said "Your honor, my client maintains her innocence"; BOOM, three months in the county jail, just like that.
It never ceases to amaze me how some people would rather jump off of the Empire State building (or lose their freedom) than simply admit they are wrong.People who blindly believe any information on the Internet.In the UK, Brexit. Dishonest rabble rousing politicians lied to a gullible public in a non-binding referendum promoted by a shady conservative PM in order to fix the conflicts within his own party.
We lost a lot and are still feeling the consequences.Religion. Full stop.The great toilet paper rush at the start of COVID. There was nothing about COVID that threatened the global toilet paper supply, and yet people just started panic-buying it and artificially creating a huge shortage.
(We would eventually realize that there *was* a small uptick in toilet paper sold for private use, as many people were going to the bathroom at home more than at work, but no one realized that at the time and it had *nothing* to do with the panic - people just started buying more because people were buying more.)Maybe not the most severe, but one that everyone here has personally seen at least once in their lives. When at an airport and the gate agent says "We're about to commence boarding. Please remain in your seats until your group has been called.", and then half the people waiting stands up and crowds the gate in a scene of utter chaos. Every time, without fail.Whatever the latest conservative outrage/conspiracy fad happens to be. Doesn't matter if it's Trumpism, Satanic Panic, birtherism, Jan 6th Antifa, school shooting "crisis actors," George Soros, Jewish control of media, immigrants "takin our jerbs," 2020 election fraud, Benghazi, Jade Helm, Q-Anon, transphobia, anti-wokeism, border caravans, grooming, anti-vax, elite pedophile rings, Brexit ... the list is almost literally endless. It's always stupid and it's always based on either straight-up fictional nonsense, or a kernel of truth that's been distorted so badly by conspiracist delusion and baldfaced lies that it bears zero resemblance to the actual facts.Thousands of people during the pandemic thinking the vaccination made their skin magnetic. What in the actual f**k.With all the pro-Hamas rallies, the targeting of Jewish-owned businesses, kosher restaurants, firebombing synagogues or Jewish community centers, harassing Jewish students and physically preventing them from attending classes and locking diners in restaurants because they’re mad at the Israeli government. Going after Jews in the Diaspora isn’t going to “free Palestine.”Anyone who keeps getting involved in Ponzi or MLM schemes.
For decades the public have been warned on what to watch out for to avoid these schemes, you would assume that the vast majority of people would have learned by now that these schemes are fraudulent and just can't work out. Yet somehow here we with thousands of these companies still up and running and thriving and even more people being taken advantage of by them.Cult members who lost it all for their beliefs and almost obsessive adoration for their leaders.Every single time there's a claim that the end of the world will be on (Insert date here).Cult 45...For-profit torture of children to 'fix' them, a few times throughout history.
Straight Incorporated did it to stop kids from ever using dugs. You didn't even have to inject the marijuana, just the fear you might.
More recently it's been used by the likes of WWASPS or Aspen Education's programs to 'cure' depression or anxiety by making you hide symptoms, or 'cure' gay by being tortured into pretending to be straight.“Prosperity Gospel” church attendees.This! These people willingly give money to these charlatans and are willfully ignorant of the fact that the only one prospering is the person they’re giving money to. It just blows my mind.God already gave you the tools to prosper. Your brain, hands, feet… he’s done his job.Pizzagate gotta be up there.Those idiots who paid $500 to $7000 for Taylor Swift tix.People who knew nothing about the Middle East on October 6th chanting “from the river to the sea” on October 7th.People waiting in Dealey Plaza for JFK Jr. to show up.
