Group Hysteria

When I was in high school (long time ago), I knew of a group of boys who belonged to the higher batch. They were quite good looking but extremely rowdy. Whenever they grouped together which they usually did, they would loudly cheer and jeer. You would think they were the spirit of the school. I was so afraid of them. Whenever I passed by and heard them laughing, I used to think they were laughing at me. They made absurd remarks about people appearances and made fun of them. Yet surprisingly if you met anyone of them alone, one on one, specially the heckler and noisiest of them all alone at school, his head would be bowed, his eyes down cast and he appeared to be as timid as a carabao.

The above personal experience of how a person reacts differently when in group is a simple example of a psychological factor called mass hysteria. It gives a person a feeling of overpowering strength when he belongs to a raucous group of people and he tends to be abusive because he thinks and feels euphorically strong and un-reproachable. Remember Jesus Christ, he was crucified by mass hysteria through the instigation of the pharisees. Hitler also maniacally made use of mass hysteria to get support for greatness. Now this recent riot in London is also a result of group hysteria. They are caused by a bunch of weak, bored, undisciplined motley group of people who become thieves, looters and robbers at night, covering through a lawless hooded form. I am dismayed that the media even gave them some social and/or political colors and excuses. What is wrong, is wrong. A thief is a thief. No matter what!

Introspective to my own life. I hate big crowds. I am paranoid. I tend to anticipate troubles in crowded area. I stay away from sales in malls and department stores. I never join any rallies even during the heydays of my youth. I associate crowds with pick pockets, sudden commotion, stampede and riots. I am embarrassed to say that I even intentionally stay away from organized groups. The only organization that I am semi involved with is my parish ladies circle. Some people think I am haughty, others anti-social. But I guess I am just being cautious. I simply don't like to get involved or get dragged into group hysteria. I'll rather stay safe than be sorry.