Why do people behave differently when in groups?

visceral_instinct said:
It's not that, I would never threaten anyone.
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asking a mod to come over to where you live so you could "stick a knife in his lower intestine" isn't threatening anyone?

i believe, in your case anyway, that the reason people change their behavior in mobs is because they feel more secure.
 
leopold99 said:
asking a mod to come over to where you live so you could "stick a knife in his lower intestine" isn't threatening anyone?

i believe, in your case anyway, that the reason people change their behavior in mobs is because they feel more secure.
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He was being an ass. I meant I would never start behaving in a threatening way when with a group for no good reason.
 
visceral_instinct said:
Why do people behave differently when in groups? I have these 2 friends, who, if you talked to one of us on our own we'd be quite sane and mature, but when together we somehow regress about 10 years psychologically, swearing at each other, telling each other to 'eat poo' and 'go fuck your mom', making fart noises at each other, while laughing like 3 demented hyenas. None of that is meant seriously, it's just our way of relating. I couldn't tell you why.
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Of course, we behave differently in groups because we are social animals, evolved to live in small hunting/gathering groups during millions of years of evolution. We like to be in small groups. In the typical such group, there are about eight in a hunting team---as their are in sports teams, squads, etc.

Part of our group nature is the Alpha male. The whole group centers around him. You may or may not be aware of who he is in your group, but he is there. All he would have to do would be to stop his own vulgarities and the rest would also---especially if he made a serious comment against it.

And if you yourself could not stop it by your own behavior or remark, it is because you are not the Alpha male!

charles
http://atheistic-science.com
 
visceral_instinct said:
He was being an ass. I meant I would never start behaving in a threatening way when with a group for no good reason.
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I was going to point out the same thing, and you've made other such threats. No one makes a big deal about it, of course, since you're a member of the fairer sex.
 
madanthonywayne said:
I was going to point out the same thing, and you've made other such threats. No one makes a big deal about it, of course, since you're a member of the fairer sex.
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Hey, so if I change my handle to "Baroness Max", y'all would let me get away with shit like that?? :D

And I could even rant and rave about women's rights and equality and all that happy horseshit to disguise my writing. Huh? Huh?

Baron Max
 
Baron Max said:
Hey, so if I change my handle to "Baroness Max", y'all would let me get away with shit like that?? :D

And I could even rant and rave about women's rights and equality and all that happy horseshit to disguise my writing. Huh? Huh?

Baron Max
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I think you'd have to be a bit sneakier than Baroness Max.
 
If you model each person (with an 'individual personality') as a kind of wave-function, then a group of people will generally find a sort of resonance.

Which is a very complex. probably multi-level (physiological, psychological, the multiple parts of a mammal brain that interact, the '5 senses' etc) sort of 'waveform'.

If everything has a kind of wavelike nature, then our 'selves' probably do too.

If you've ever been in a large gathering, a concert say, this is quite probably what you 'succumb' to, or find. I remember a concert or two (Pink Floyd were especially mind-blowing - absolutely spellbinding, I remember everyone being sort of caught in the headlights, I know I was). You can remember your own 'response' to the gatherings you were at for a long time, too.
 
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Vkothii said:
If you model each person (with an 'individual personality') as a kind of wave-function, then a group of people will generally find a sort of resonance.

Which is a very complex. probably multi-level (physiological, psychological, the multiple parts of a mammal brain that interact, the '5 senses' etc) sort of 'waveform'.

If everything has a kind of wavelike nature, then our 'selves' probably do too.
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Interesting interpretation. If each individual has his own wave function, bringing them all together would result in both constructive and destructive interference. That is to say, certain attributes would be enhanced (say, a tendency towards violence) while others were suppressed (say, the ability to think rationally).
 
visceral_instinct said:
It's not that, I would never threaten anyone. It's more that I would feel 'validated' in doing something when in a group.
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It doesn't matter "what you feel" though. The mechanism exists for a purpose- that's because groups are strong. When a group gets along, all the members benefit.

Asguard said:
VI they are right, its a more localised form of mob mentality. Look at rioting, how many people would be willing to walk up to a random stranger, blow up there shop, there home, there car and then potentually behead them or hang them or whatever?
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*raises hand*
Oh wait, that was rhetorical, wasn't it?

Riots also offer anonymity. You know the best place to punch chicks in the tits? The nipple. No, seriously though. Mosh pits. I used to go to punk & metal shows all the time in middle & high school because I could get away with really hurting people and not get in trouble.

madanthonywayne said:
I was going to point out the same thing, and you've made other such threats. No one makes a big deal about it, of course, since you're a member of the fairer sex.
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Who takes women seriously, anyway? Everyone knows they're incapable of violence.
 
charles brough said:
Of course, we behave differently in groups because we are social animals, evolved to live in small hunting/gathering groups during millions of years of evolution. We like to be in small groups. In the typical such group, there are about eight in a hunting team---as their are in sports teams, squads, etc.

Part of our group nature is the Alpha male. The whole group centers around him. You may or may not be aware of who he is in your group, but he is there. All he would have to do would be to stop his own vulgarities and the rest would also---especially if he made a serious comment against it.

And if you yourself could not stop it by your own behavior or remark, it is because you are not the Alpha male!

charles
http://atheistic-science.com
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We are 3 girls, and I don't think there is an alpha.
 
they behave differently in groups so they can gain acceptance and feel that being and moron will get people to like them. and when your alone they feel no need so they behave as they normally would because there is only one other person around them.
 
Baron Max said:
In any group of humans, there's always an "alpha"! They may not assert themselves or even stand out, but there is one.

Baron Max
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Hmm, next time I am with them just as an experiment I will refrain from swearing and being a lunatic for a few minutes and see if they do so too, to see if I am the alpha.
 
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