Avoid The Bandwagons

Before you read on, please read my previous posts, You’re a Person of Color, So Now What? It will reveal the true source of systemic racism and provide a foundation for this discussion.

I listened to yet another politician talking about the systemic racism in the cop culture and in America. My first thoughts were about how this politician seemed to truly believe what he was saying. But as he tried to rationalize his belief, it was so obvious to me he suffered from three common psychological errors also known as cognitive biases (you can Google them): representative heuristic, anchoring heuristic, and the bandwagon effect.

It is so hard to be in a position where I understand what is going on and how knowledge of human nature has been hijacked to create and push a false narrative to the point it took on a life of it’s own. For instance, the false narrative behind the origins of Black Lives Matter unwittingly used legacy media propaganda about the Michael Brown incident. In short, unless you do your homework, you won’t know any better.

Did you know Michael Brown did not put his hands in the air and say, “don’t shoot”? He charged and brutally attacked that police officer and attempted to disarm him, take his gun from him. Who knows what he was thinking? Even Obama’s investigation exonerated that police officer. But that is not what the media portrayed, and they continue to use that incident as another example of police brutality to push the false narrative.

It’s hard for me because I know how easy it is to fall into that trap and how sad it is to see people get entrapped. Today such ideas spread so rapidly via the media and social media, it can be more powerful to change history than the atom bomb. And those involved know it.

I promise that the change wanted behind these people is not what most American’s want. Stop giving up your thinking and beliefs to empower the false narrative. Defuse the bomb by not going along with the bandwagon.

One could call it the tipping point, social contagion or the 100th monkey effect. Whatever you want to call it, the main trigger is not agreeing with it makes you an outsider, and that is socially dangerous. It is leftover social behavior from the Stone Age. Once labeled an outsider, one may suffer violent emotional responses and even assassination attempts on your character. At that point they have dehumanized you, and they likely feel justified as it is payback.

What the media is spewing is propaganda proverbially and literally. As it is said, if you don’t hear about propaganda that’s what you’re hearing. The con isn’t even that clever – quite easy to catch actually. 

So then why are so many intellectuals seem to be entrapped? Well, firstly, how many really are? It is likely most aren’t but afraid to speak out. We’ve recently seen university professors socially lynched from mob think because they had the guts to speak out. Also, we’re all human and prone to the bandwagon effect, and the pressure to push it, even violently. 

This is why I have so adamantly suggested people to do their homework, to think critically and most importantly, have the guts to think for themselves.

Regarding bandwagons, no evidence in social neuroscience, neuropsychology, biopsychology, social psychology or cognitive psychology indicates beliefs are valid, true or even in the ballpark of real just because everyone is thought to believe them. Nothing. But there is a lot of evidence that shows we believe they are true nonetheless because we believe in the group belief and we’ll go down fighting for beliefs we simply assimilated from someone else. 

The human nature referenced in my posts may be new to you but it isn’t to humankind. Just go study up on the Attic Orators. It also isn’t new to journalists, political scientists or lawyers. And it certainly isn’t new to social psychologists. 

Think critically, and have the courage to think for yourself.