Never underestimate the power of Herd Mentality
"The masses always incline to herd psychology, hence they are easily stampeded; and to mob psychology, hence their witless brutality and hysterical emotionalism."
- Carl Jung
The Internet has hounded down upon the newly discovered Mean Girl, Blake Lively and it looks like her career could crash. For those of you who have been living under a rock, an American actress Blake Lively is now being trashed online for her insensitivity and her narcissistic persona. Go watch the compilations on YouTube for more context. Trust me, they're gold.
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| (Picture credit: Pixabay) |
But, right before this fiasco, Blake Lively had been the Internet's favourite child for a variety of reasons. For starters, she's a tall blonde in Hollywood and that itself is enough to stay relevant. With her husband Ryan Reynolds, she has managed to stay in the limelight for what kids today call "#relationshipgoals".
Now, she stands to lose everything because of some choices she has made. Having bagged the leading role in a film about domestic violence, she has now proven to be tone-deaf on the subject and has spoken in jest on such a sensitive subject. Not just this, she has also used the publicity events of the film as the platform to promote her own business ventures of alcohol and hair care. Yikes!
The internet can be obsessed with anyone and everyone. It doesn't need a reason. You could be a meme and still get famous. You could be noble and post about your nobility on YouTube. Don't worry, child. The Internet will find you.
So many people today want to benefit from the power of social media. And the key to social media lies in herd mentality. You can quickly climb the ladder of success on the backs of million unknown faces who revere you. You can have strangers who admire you (a species also known as "fans") defend you tooth and nail in the face of any adversity. Love, more importantly, blind love feels nice. And when that love brings in a lot of money, it feels even nicer.
What we don't realize is how much power herd mentality wields. In fact, we go about our lives being oblivious of it. But, the truth is that herd mentality has brought it revolutions and changed the course of history. Herd mentality is why we run off to Black Friday sales. Herd mentality is why we develop certain political affiliation, even if we're ignorant on some grounds. Herd mentality is what moved an entire nation to commit unspeakable atrocities towards a community on the command of one person.
This is what the Blake Lively situation is reminiscent of. What began as the revelation of a self-centered person has now turned into full blown vilification of her as a person. All her life decisions are now being examined by the whole world, ranging from where she chose to get married and the personal choices she made in her relationships. All of it is being laid bare for the whole world to see. And this kind of targeting is not new.
It is a solemn reminder that the heights of success that have been scaled on the backs of public perception can just as quickly fall like a house of cards.
And there is nothing you can do in the face of unrelenting public backlash.
The internet can be obsessed with anyone and everyone. It doesn't need a reason. You could be a meme and still get famous. You could be noble and post about your nobility on YouTube. Don't worry, child. The Internet will find you.
So many people today want to benefit from the power of social media. And the key to social media lies in herd mentality. You can quickly climb the ladder of success on the backs of million unknown faces who revere you. You can have strangers who admire you (a species also known as "fans") defend you tooth and nail in the face of any adversity. Love, more importantly, blind love feels nice. And when that love brings in a lot of money, it feels even nicer.
What we don't realize is how much power herd mentality wields. In fact, we go about our lives being oblivious of it. But, the truth is that herd mentality has brought it revolutions and changed the course of history. Herd mentality is why we run off to Black Friday sales. Herd mentality is why we develop certain political affiliation, even if we're ignorant on some grounds. Herd mentality is what moved an entire nation to commit unspeakable atrocities towards a community on the command of one person.
This is what the Blake Lively situation is reminiscent of. What began as the revelation of a self-centered person has now turned into full blown vilification of her as a person. All her life decisions are now being examined by the whole world, ranging from where she chose to get married and the personal choices she made in her relationships. All of it is being laid bare for the whole world to see. And this kind of targeting is not new.
It is a solemn reminder that the heights of success that have been scaled on the backs of public perception can just as quickly fall like a house of cards.
And there is nothing you can do in the face of unrelenting public backlash.
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