Group: alt.philosophy · Group Profile
Author: toolytooly Date: Aug 14, 2008 14:09
> Yesterday I stumbled upon three dogs while walking through my
> neighborhood. The dogs were generally unruly -- barking incessantly,
> pulling on their leashes, and snarling at other passer-by dogs.
>
> Now I have interacted with each of these dogs individually on numerous
> occasions, and have never witnessed this behavior. It was obvious that
> the presence of each other created a "group chemistry" that did not
> exist in isolation.
>
> Humans, no doubt, are the same.
>
> The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
This is treated in Truman Capote's 'In Cold Blood' where individuals come
together to create group identity, often quite different from the
individuals themselves. 2 movies have been made of the book now [you've
probably seen either one by now or perhaps read the book (not a Capote fan,
but it is a good read)], where two petty crooks come together to create a
blood thirsty killing machine that wipes out a midwest family. We feed
into the psyches of one another as well as engorging ourselves to enhance
fantasy to become reality enough to act upon. I wonder if the two Columbine
teens could have acted alone for example, but needed the psychic support and
enhancement of one another to create the monster they became. These
examples and many more show a tether we hold upon one another that is more
far reaching than we normally recognize and explains how we act differently
in different social situations.
My own personal experience was when I was about 14 years old, and being
swept up in a 'mob' that marched upon my school's principal's office. I
remember the thrill it was and I felt completely 'safe' in the midst of the
crowd. It is that diffusion of risk I think that allows the demons in our
primal selves to be released. That march was minimal...and we disbanded
right away and I don't even remember what the reason of the mob was, just
that it was 'exciting'. I got caught up in that excitement.
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