Following the Crowd

Growing up, we may have let peer pressure get us involved in something without thinking it through fully. When our moms found out, they would ask, “If everyone was going to jump off the bridge, would you go jump, too?” Mom was sincerely looking out for our well-being. She said this to make us think, Why am I about to do this thing everyone else is doing? But how much of society still follows the crowd every year?

From a survey done by Statista, roughly 81 percent of Americans celebrate Easter. Last year, 73 percent of people in America expected to participate in Halloween. According to Gallup, 88 percent of the people in America celebrate Christmas, which includes 96 percent of all those in the U.S. who profess Christianity. Despite these crowds celebrating Easter, Christmas, and Halloween, 0 percent of these holidays are found in the Bible. In these instances, people unwittingly follow the crowd instead of the written word of God. Why?

We want to fit in, to bond with others and earn the respect and approval of our peers. As a general rule, our friends, family, and coworkers provide a sort of invisible peer pressure. We pick up routines from the people around us, often without even realizing it. We soak up the qualities and practices of those around us, while few seem to deeply consider why. The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne wrote, “The customs and practices of life in society sweep us along.”

In the 1950s, psychologist Solomon Asch conducted a series of experiments to test how human psychology is “wired” to follow the crowd. The experiment, by design, placed an individual in a room of strangers. These strangers were actors, following a set of instructions as part of the research.

Everyone in the room was shown one card with several lines, and they were directed to determine which two of the lines were the same length. For the first series of cards, everyone easily agreed and chose the correct set of lines. After analyzing several cards, the actors then began to intentionally select the same incorrect answer. They would agree that two lines were the same, even though they clearly were not.

Unaware of the plot, the subject was initially baffled. With each subsequent card, the actors continued to purposely choose the wrong answer, leaving the subject to question his or her own choice. Self-doubt and nervousness only grew with each passing round. Eventually, most subjects knowingly gave the same wrong answer as the actors.

One trend Asch noticed was that as the number of actors increased, so did the conformity of the subject. By the end of the experiment, nearly 75 percent of the subjects would go along with the group’s obviously wrong answer.

When we are in unfamiliar territory, unsure how to act, we look to “fit in.” This works well under most circumstances—but not all. In the endless line of daily decisions, sometimes we know exactly what to do, sometimes we need help, and other times we just like to be told what to do. We don’t get it right all the time, but if we are vigilant in paying attention, we will learn from our successes and our mistakes. Life’s experiences become our classroom with many opportunities to learn and grow.

In the midst of trying to figure things out, wouldn’t it be great to have an instruction manual that included stories of people whose examples we could safely follow? Such a resource would boost our confidence and restore us to a sure footing as we traverse our path. It is the Bible that guides the way (Psalm 119:105)—taking the time to study God’s word will help in our navigating both the familiar and unfamiliar. Though it may take some courage, the Bible instructs, corrects, and prepares us to make good choices without having to rely on the direction of the crowd (2 Timothy 3:16).

Tomorrow’s World makes available a 24-lesson Bible Study Course, a valuable aid in understanding why we are here and what direction we should take. Enroll today!