Listening

We are encouraged to pay heed to what other people say.

We are encouraged to be moudable, shapeable and to be adaptable to the winds.

Let life tell us, teach us what is important in the world. Let life mould, shape and help us adapt.

Nobody has all the answers, and there may well be shortcuts or answers provided by other people to our predicament, if we would just be open to the possibilities provided by other people.

All Well and True

This advice holds true, to some extent and degree only.

Especially in times of stress and danger, individually or collectively, does the herd mentality always work?

In our emotional states, we depend on others, correctly or otherwise, for the answer to our problems.

We find comfort in people with whom we are familiar, and to whom we already have some relationship or reliance.

Some people we like more than others, some people we hold up to greater esteem. To these people we hope for more answers. To these people we hope for greater certainty to what to do in our lives. With our lives.

Social Proof

This (at times dangerous) reliance on the wisdom of another, rather than ourselves, becomes blind when we are swept by the currents of public opinion.

When others are doing something, does it always mean that that course of action is correct?

Charles MacKay

The book currently being read and reviewed by the author of this article, is by the writer above.

In the book, Extraordinarily Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, Charles MacKay writes about how the delusions of individuals manifests in crowd madness and troubles. In the financial world, we therefore see ebbs and flows or financial euphoria and financial crashes-mania.

Comments, Questions and Likes

To discuss the abovementioned book and its ideas, please do feel free to leave a blurb on the comments section below.