Mass Formation

I'll get all my papers and smile at the sky
Though I know that the hypnotized never lie
--The Who

This post shares an interesting video that discusses the theoretical concept of 'mass formation.' Mass formation can be seen as the emergence of large-scale narrowmindedness in a society. 

Conditions for mass formation include lack of social connectedness and sensemaking as well as large amounts of latent anxiety and passive aggression. When inundated with a narrative that presents a plausible "object of anxiety" and strategy for coping with it, then many individuals group together to battle the object with a collective singlemindedness. By doing so, these people offload their problems to avoid the mental anguish of personally dealing with them. 

As mass formation progresses, the group becomes increasingly bonded and connected. Field of attention is narrowed and unable to consider alternative points of view.

Left unabated, this groupthink supports totalitarian governance structure capable of otherwise unthinkable atrocities in order to maintain compliance.

Studies suggest that mass formation follows a general distribution:

30% are brainwashed, hypnotized, indoctrinated w.r.t. the group narrative

40% in the middle are persuadable and may follow if no worthy alternative is perceived

30% rebel against the narrative

The rebels, naturally, become the enemy of the brainwashed and a primary target of aggression.

An interesting note in the discussion was that the most 'intelligent' in terms of education level and IQ are commonly among the brainwashed.

Participants in the video suggest that the best was to counter mass formation is for the rebels to continue to speak out against it, which serves to help break the hypnosis of some in the brainwashed group as well as persuade some in the middle to choose reason over mindlessness.

It is relatively straightforward to integrate the concept of mass formation into theories of viral response discussed on these pages. In particular, there seems to be strong associations with social identity theory, cognitive dissonance, threat rigidity theory, and institutional theory.

Finally, I liked how the Belgian professor in the video confidently predicted that totalitarian products of the CV19-stimulated wave of mass formation would ultimately collapse--just like all totalitarian efforts do. An insightful, yet elementary prediction to make. 

After all, what we're really talking about here is socialism--a system that always ends in chaos.