how csordaszellem works (on the net as well)

When people end up in enclaves of like-minded people, they usually move toward a more extreme point in the direction to which the group’s members were originally inclined. Enclave extremism is a special case of the broader phenomenon of group polarization, which extends well beyond politics and occurs as groups adopt a more extreme version of whatever view is antecedently favored by their members.

The article quoted above could prove rather interesting for those who consider csordaszellem (peer pressure in self selected enclaves) a problem phenomenon worth studying. It sheds light on certain interesting psychological aspects of pack mentality, and makes it easier to understand and, in a way, to accept and deal with its existence (to a certain limit, for it can indeed become frustrating, especially when extremism rears its not too beautiful head.)

I guess there’s a slider at whose opposite ends you find “pack dog” (almost always “winning” opinion wars with its group by force of numbers unless faced with another pack) and “lone wolf” (almost always “losing” opinion wars against packs but if strong enough, achieving renown and respect in the long run for keeping an individual and memorable profile, which non-alpha pack dogs can’t really have outside their packs. Nota bene, a strong lone wolf might prove an ideal candidate for a dog pack seeking a leader.)

So, what are you?

Filed under: feel, link, quote, reading, yoda