Institutionalized Followers

You and I
Travel to the beat of a different drum
Oh, can't you tell by the way I run
Every time you make eyes at me
--Stone Poneys

Interesting observations here on leaders, followers, and freedom. Particularly insightful were comments related to what might be termed 'institutionalized following.'

He suggests that "most Americans today are followers, whether they know it or not." Whether due to fear of freedom or some other cause, these followers "tend to seek out control over other people, if only to make up for the lack of control they feel in their own lives."

Nice observation, as it does ironically appear that many people who display little control over their own affairs dedicate much time and attention toward watching and influencing what others are doing. In particular, followers seem to obsess over what others think about them and are willing to employ strong armed agents to forcibly revise the actions of others in order to preserve their self-esteem and view of the world.

He further posits that "Americans today at their darker core are desperate for the approval of others." The social media phenomenon helps validate this proposition. We log into social media websites to check on the actions of others. We press "Like" buttons when we approve of others and hope that they "Like" us back. Ditto for "Friend" and "Follower" networks.

We feel better about ourselves when others click our webpages, like our posts, and follow us.

A technology that institutionalizes following...