Group mentality is the propensity of people to think and make decisions as a group. It's a way people conform with others in a group rather than as an individual.

Group mentality is known at times as mob mentality or herd mentality. It's mostly used to portray a large and unruly crowd of people. It's like a force that makes them circumvent their rationality and logical thinking.

Group mentality mostly stems from individual fear of not fitting in, it's a conscious or unconscious reaction. Group values overtake individual values.

Am I a victim of group mentality?

• Do you conform to what others say and do without much objection?

• Do you suppress your logic and reasoning?

• Are you insecure that if you speak up you will not fit in or cause imbalances? an attempt to fit in and be part of a group.

• Do you unquestionably go with how things have always been ie we have always gone to a club on Fridays?

This herd mentality does not necessarily have to be negative all the time. A lot of political, religious, and social movements of change happened as a result of group mentality. It's a risky endeavor as it might be geared toward a wrong or dangerous ideology particularly because of quelled individual reasoning.

Examples of group mentality

A group of students in the university is rioting for improved quality of food provided by the school. The rest of the students join in just because everyone is rioting and does not want to be left out.

They have other thoughts, like how can the school improve the quality of food without increasing school fees? which will in turn make more students drop out because they would not be able to afford it. They do not air their concerns because they do not want to be seen as opposing or not supporting. They just join in and keep quiet, which is acting and conforming to the group mentality.

Another example is a political candidate during elections. Most people find themselves endorsing particular candidates not because they agree with their manifestos or because they are trustworthy individuals. It is because everyone expects you to since the candidate belongs to your community or gender or region. That is falling into a group mentality.

What causes group mentality

1The need to fit in

The desire to be accepted pushes one into acceptance even if they disagree. The strong sense of need to be part of a social organization or social group forces individuals into conforming to a group mentality.

2Lack of emotional strength

Work on your emotional strength. Do not accept being easily swayed into what others are thinking or doing. Fear and greed should not force you into making poor decisions, especially against your own will.

3Lack of information

For anyone to make proper and reasonable decisions, they should have complete information. Most victims of group mentality tend to think that the rest of the group has information that they are lacking. In most cases, they do not. Knowing what you're doing directs and informs your decisions.

4Lack of identity

Everyone wants to belong somewhere, to identify with something. Lack of identity succumbs most individuals to group mentality. You end up confirming just to belong and identify with the group.

Characteristics of group mentality

1Single unified identity

This is a moral bond and needs to remain part of a group. It gives them a sense of purpose and meaning. Their spirit of conformity unites them with the accepted standards of the group. Group mentality tends to justify decisions to minimize objections. Individual members have varied opinions and the only way to come to a consensus is rationalization.

This unified identity disregards the possible objection within the group and believes in unanimously and cohesion of the group. Peer pressure forces those who object to conform.

2Collective power

Strength in numbers is best illustrated within a group. A group is always more powerful than individuals. It's a collective power Examples of power in groups are the many political movements in human rights, children's rights, and women's rights in history. The collective voice forces change.

Apart from collective power in the group processes, there exists some form of optimism and illusion of strength just because you're in a group. There is an average increased sense of self-worth and importance. The individual sense of power increases the overall group sense of power.

3Resistance to change

Most groups are very sensitive to change. They strongly believe in their values and principles and opposing them or introducing a new different way of looking at things is almost impossible, especially those that threaten their unity and norms.

An example is most religious groups in the world even to this day. They strongly believe that healing is divine and that scientific medicine is ungodly among believers. Women and children died because of this belief yet medicine was available. They strongly believe that their faith would heal them and that external medicine is a sin.

4Size

Group mentality takes place among a group of people two or more. The larger the group, the more powerful it is. The size of the group means more people conform to their norms and beliefs and that their goals and ambitions have more voice.

The bigger the group, the more barbaric it becomes as its management and control become more complicated. Despite the size of the group, it's expected that individual members should participate and support the group fully.