Pathways / The Social Mind

The Social Mind

How groups shape what we do, from norms and conformity to the quiet pull of the crowd.

Groups quietly shape behavior.

Going along with the group, sometimes against our own judgment.

The powerful pull to obey a legitimate authority, even when it feels wrong.

The more witnesses there are, the less likely any one steps in.

The more people share a duty, the less any one person owns it.

Effort drops when individual contribution is hidden in a group.

The pull toward consensus that silences doubt and dissent.

We adopt the actions of the people around us, often without noticing.

Comparison is inevitable. Its interpretation is optional.