We’ve been speaking of the power of Group dynamics to overwhelm the Individual - one extreme manifestation being the Mob mentality. This is when ‘normal’ people are overwhelmed by the Will of the Group to do things that they would never do in their ‘right’ mind. In this chapter we are going to briefly discuss a scientific metaphor for this phenomenon based upon electromagnetism.
First everyone and everything has an electromagnetic field, including the Earth with its North and South Pole. Of course the electromagnetic field of the human is so weak that it exerts little, if no measurable effect, upon the surrounding environment. Hence this discussion is mostly metaphorical. However, we are describing events, which are very real and regularly observable. We are just using electromagnetism as a parallel phenomenon to understand what is going on. With this in mind let us proceed.
Just as very small magnets exert a very small magnetic effect, so do individual humans exert a very small influence on their fellow humans. However, when many small magnets join their individual magnetic fields they create a larger magnetic field that is greater than the sum of the parts. This larger magnetic field can actually accumulate energy by pulling in surrounding smaller magnets that add to the larger magnetic field, which in turn draws in more magnetism, which increases field. Similarly for humans, when large amounts of humans move the same way they generate a field of energy that is larger than the sum of individual parts. Additionally, the power of this Group field sucks more individual human fields into its sway, increasing its field, which draws more humans in, which increases the Group field, which draws more humans in, creating a type of positive feedback loop.
We are going to suggest that each human has a field of differing intensity and strength depending upon environmental conditions. For instance, individuals with weak fields almost automatically align with the Group field. Because their field is so weak, they are immediately attracted to any surrounding Group field. Joining in rapidly, they add their weak field to the Group dynamics. These are the Followers who add strength to the Group. They follow any strong leader no matter what he says. This includes willingly following the Group off the cliff, if everyone else were headed that way.
The problem with the weak magnetic field is that the Followers have very little will of their own. Hence they blow the way the wind blows. They are fickle - dominated by what everyone else thinks - able to change beliefs and opinions instantly - depending upon the surrounding circumstances. The vast majority of humans are included in this category. The Group Leaders generate enormous amounts of propaganda to keep these Folowers in line with the Group way of thinking. Similarly, the charioteer must constantly monitor and control his team of horses, so that they don’t wander their own separate ways.
Bad diet, lack of exercise, frequent use of intoxicants, and a constant dose of media, all sap the individual will. The weaker the individual will, the weaker the personal field. Accordingly, the Group leaders encourage this way of life so that the Masses will follow the Group directives mindlessly.
Those who have merged with the Group Will, but who have a stronger field become Leaders. They fight for the Group agenda - attempt to persuade others of the correctness of direction of the Group - so that the Mob mentality takes over those with a weak field. The Leaders tend to be healthier than their Followers. It is they who generate the Propaganda that directs the way the wind blows. The social leader in high school tends to be a dominant strong willed personality, who determines what is in and what is out - who is In the Group, who is Out, and who is Periphery. Thus the personal magnetism of the Leader is quite strong - drawing those with weak fields inadvertently towards them. This tendency strengthens their personal field and influence. This is called charisma. It is has no correlation with morals and compassion. Indeed the individual power is frequently the main motivation for those aspiring to Leadership , rather than the overall good of the Group.
While types don’t really exist, as behavior is situation specific, rather than general, our third type of Human - or our third way of Being - is the Individual with a strong field, who is not aligned with the Group. This type is most threatening to the Group and is frequently singled out and ostracized by the Leaders. Those with weak fields don’t really care. However, if the Leaders raise this hostile behavior up as a virtue of the Group, even those with weak fields will attempt to identify and shun those who don’t flow with the Group mentality. In more extreme circumstances, the Leaders will direct these Followers to punish those who don’t follow the Mob mentality.
As an example: Technically speaking a Patriot is defined as someone who is out for the good of the country he belongs to. However the Leader defines a Patriot as someone who supports his policies, because the Leader believes that his views express the Will of the Country. Thus despite Logic to the contrary, the bulk of the country, the mass of humanity with weak fields, will condemn and even physically abuse those who don’t support the ‘war effort’ - no matter how ill conceived it might be.
Further the other lesser Leaders with strong wills - recognizing the strength of the Mob mentality - also go along with ultimate Leader - to preserve their turf. This, of course, strengthens the Group Will and the Mob mentality, encouraging marginally weak fielded people to join the Mob, increasing the strength of the Leader and the Group. This is the mechanism behind any powerful dictator or demagogue.
It is important to note that the dictator rules with the consent of the people. It might be with the consent of a powerful minority of the people. Or it might be with the consent of tyrannical majority. However a dictator never rises to power without being sensitive to the needs of those who support him. Indeed the sensitivity of the dictator to the Group Will allows him to merge with it in order to control it. The rulers speak the language and express the Will of those who keep them in power, whether an elite or broader constituency. While democracy widens the base of the people that the leaders need to be attentive to, it doesn’t eliminate the abuse of power. Because of the tendency for even the subordinate Leaders to support the main Leader so that they don’t go against the Mob mentality and erode their own power, there is an incredibly strong mechanism which turns large populations into Sheep before the power of a strong and vengeful leader - Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Napoleon, and the Bushes are just a few recent examples that come to mind.
Similarly because a compassionate Leader allows dissent, maybe even encourages it, he will never have the broad based support of the Mob mentality that the vengeful leader has. For one, the compassionate Leader does not encourage retaliation against his enemies. For another, the compassionate Leader does not Punish or Threaten those who don’t follow him as absolute leader.
This brings us to the next aspect of the Human Field. We have mentioned those with weak and strong fields who belong to the Group. Those with strong fields become the Leaders, while those with weak fields become the Followers. There is another category of field. This is the Field that has been conditioned by the culture to behave. It has been pounded, molded, and shaped thru Pain or the Threat of Pain, i.e. Intimidation - or by Reward or the Promise of Reward - to Obey. (We’ll examine this Mechanism in more detail a little later on.) These people have a stronger field. It has just been conditioned to obey the Leader without question. These people have frequently been conditioned from birth to follow the Leader. The Followers bend the way the Wind blows, whether the directives come from the Leadership or from popular opinion. Alternately those who follow the Leader unconditionally are not swayed by popular opinion. We’ll call them Sheep. The Sheep are normally the product of a childhood based upon severe, not mild, physical punishment. Their conditioning took place early on and is harder to alter because it has gone on for so long. Although harder it is always possible with constant practice.
While Sheep are frequently conditioned from childhood to follow the Leader, sometimes Followers choose to be molded to Obey authority figures. This is the condition when people join the Armed Services, i.e. the Army, voluntarily. Boot camp is an acute example of being pounded, shaped and conditioned to behave those in charge without questioning. Hence the Field of the Soldier is strong, not weak. It is just that the field is strongly oriented towards the violent support of the culture that spawned them - including the unconditional support of the Commander in Chief, whether he be King, Emperor, Premier, Dictator, or President.
In contrast, the subordinate Leaders tend to support the main Leader, especially if he is vengeful, to protect their turf, but they are not overwhelmed by his value system. Further, they don’t obey unconditionally. They merely bide their time - waiting for an opening. If they play their cards right, they might be the next supreme Leader. They rise as high in the Power hierarchy as their personal field allows.
Sometimes these subordinate Leaders will attempt to sense the Mob mentality and time their criticism of the Main Leader to coincide with the change in the Wind, the mood of the People. The Swing naturally stops its Rightward swing and now will naturally begin to swing Left. Time to Push. If he can synchronize with the Mob mentality, he might be able to gently encourage the growth in dissatisfaction with the Supreme Leader. Note that this works with a nation full of Followers, but not with a nation full of Sheep. As mentioned the Followers haven’t been completely conditioned to obey the Leader. They just follow the popular mood whether pro or anti the Establishment. This is why the Establishment tends to crack down so heavily upon counter culture movements. They are acutely aware of the Power of the People, when mobilized.
In all of the aforementioned instances, the Fields have been oriented towards the Group Will, whether Follower, Leader or Sheep. In contrast, the Pure Individual doesn’t align with Humanity, as much as he aligns his Field with the Earth, his Mother, and the Sky, his Father. This True Individual sinks his Roots deep in the soil, nourishing his Body on the natural fruits of the Earth. Further, he purifies his Body with constant exercise in order to clear obstruction so that he can align with the Universal Field. Thus the Individual, who is also a Master, has been able to escape conditioning by Humanity. Instead, he has allowed himself to be conditioned by God, the Universe, the Internal, whatever. He attempts to manifest the Will of Heaven, the Tao, rather than the Will of the Group. Note that these are not mutually exclusive fields, just the Heavenly Will has priority. The Heavenly Will might even guide one to be Leader of a Group.
Because the Group is not the ultimate source, Heaven (the Universe) determines the Master’s Rewards and Punishments, not Humans. Because of his alignment with Heaven, the Group Will, the Mob mentality, doesn’t touch him. He moves independently of social mores. In line with the Divine Universe, his magnetic field is vibrant with Health and Energy. Laughing and merry, he dances with the Gods, rather than toiling for Human Masters that he hopes will throw him a Bone.
While frequently unrewarded by the Group, he lives in Harmony and At-one-ness with the Universe itself. Moving with fluidity thru the space time continuum, things happen easily - doors open miraculously - existing in a state of constant Bliss - loved by all - respected by many - all wish him well - as he helps out when he can.
Of course this is just the ideal, not a constant state of affairs. However the point is to cultivate Alignment with the Field of the Universe rather than the Mob of Humans. The rewards are always at the fingertips, never tomorrow, or after death. Instead, they are unconditional and ever present rather than based upon the exploitation of fellow humans. Allow the fragmented and irregular pleasures of the Group to drop away, as the adult leaves his childish playthings behind. Instead, join the Universe and experience a constant belonging and pulsing Vitality beyond Imagination.
In the past five chapters, i.e. 31 -> 33B, we discovered that the Group has a Self, which has an agenda, perhaps impersonal, but an agenda nevertheless. Further this agenda is many times detrimental to Individuals in the Group. Although sometimes individually detrimental, the Individual has an inherent tendency to give up his Personal Self to the Group Self. Then the Group Will becomes his Will.
Self Reflection neutralizes this tendency. This is the antidote to being a mindless slave to the Greater Group. Accordingly, Leadership consciously and unconsciously discourages Self Reflection because it undermines the power of the Group that they are leading. These innate tendencies lead to some Group Assumptions and Conclusions that need to be deconstructed carefully to avoid becoming a Victim of the Establishment.
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