The Danger of Conformity
This is a delicate subject, as we all think that we’re on the side of good…think again!
We merely have both potentials of good or evil. This video, by Professor Philip Zimbardo, explains what can happen to us when we get caught up in group dynamics.
Becoming involved in any group, we can lose our way. We relinquish our brains, our empathy and our humanity and become a type, a caricature, for good or evil (just to reiterate: ‘evil’ is a lack of active empathy, which can be under the guise of ‘good’).
Heroes do not conform. Zimbardo uses the phrase “the banality of heroism.” Heroism is quite ordinary. Heroes do not stand around being one of the group, feeling safe. Heroes are confident and clear about what they have to do.
Another phrase Zimbardo uses is, “the banality of evil”…interesting!
It’s well worth studying his work to gain a greater understanding of our potential: there are times when we feel that we can’t just sit on our nest meditating and feeling good, occupied with our own progress and evolution 😉
NB The content of this video is harrowing.
BUDDHA IN THE MUD is a blog - a living book based on the Dzogchen teachings. Our teacher is life, and life is karma. We are all Buddhas in the mud of concepts. 
I still love being around small groups of people, and still hate being in a larger crowd of people, as the overall collective group mentality usually most always is of a lower nature/frequency/state of capacity !
Me too, Crested Duck – although I’m finding that the older i get, the less I like being in small groups too 😉
Daisy