In a world of fantasized individualism and freedom, the phrase group mind is a truism of the reality of the free world. A group mind is the collective and singular held beliefs of a group of people. These people, intentional or not, set aside their own ideology to become obedient, homogenized followers.
To grasp what a group mind entails, an understanding of human psychology and sociology is necessary. To begin, the idea so long embedded in western societies is that one is “a citizen of a free society, and that means [one is] an individual, making individual choices”.(Lessing 595) This would mean that people are capable of standing firm in their virtues and stand against those who differ. However, Lessing contradicts this idea with the sociological truth that men are group animals living “our lives in groups-the family, work groups, social, religious and political groups.”(Lessing …show more content…
The Stanford Prison experiment, quite shockingly, shows the effects of limitless power. Authority changes normal, sound individuals, to a group mind of aggressive and compassionless actions. From the beginning the selected prison guards degraded the prisoners with strip searches, delousing and feminine dress garments, which gave the guards a sense of greater importance. There were no rules for the guards on how to maintain order, giving them power to dictate as they saw fit. At first the participants maintained their sense of independence and respect for each other, but as the guards familiarize themselves with their roles, they banded together to inflict humiliation, physical and psychological abuse upon the prisoners. The group became so intense that the experiment ended abruptly after six days out of a planned two weeks. When given the chance to hold power, the normal, healthy minded individuals will set aside their own morals and independence to become a group mind of dominance and
To grasp what a group mind entails, an understanding of human psychology and sociology is necessary. To begin, the idea so long embedded in western societies is that one is “a citizen of a free society, and that means [one is] an individual, making individual choices”.(Lessing 595) This would mean that people are capable of standing firm in their virtues and stand against those who differ. However, Lessing contradicts this idea with the sociological truth that men are group animals living “our lives in groups-the family, work groups, social, religious and political groups.”(Lessing …show more content…
The Stanford Prison experiment, quite shockingly, shows the effects of limitless power. Authority changes normal, sound individuals, to a group mind of aggressive and compassionless actions. From the beginning the selected prison guards degraded the prisoners with strip searches, delousing and feminine dress garments, which gave the guards a sense of greater importance. There were no rules for the guards on how to maintain order, giving them power to dictate as they saw fit. At first the participants maintained their sense of independence and respect for each other, but as the guards familiarize themselves with their roles, they banded together to inflict humiliation, physical and psychological abuse upon the prisoners. The group became so intense that the experiment ended abruptly after six days out of a planned two weeks. When given the chance to hold power, the normal, healthy minded individuals will set aside their own morals and independence to become a group mind of dominance and