"Baaaaaaa!"

...said the sheep.

Never underestimate the stupidity of large groups. Interesting to observe how often we let our hearts and brains be overruled by peer pressure; jump on bandwagons, go with the flow, automatically agree with the consensus. Politics, religion, large organisations...

Yesterday, I read a message board thread that shook me quite a lot. I refuse to divulge the details of the board or the thread, however, it started off with someone seeking help/advice on dealing with another member's posts, which they found consistently abrasive. After a few posts, the identity of the member in question was disclosed. As more and more people replied, it became clear that the member was stepping on a lot of toes. The thread resultantly spiralled - nay, plummeted - into a defamatory bitching-fest. A handful of posters expressed disapproval of the nature of the thread, but they were lost in the tirade of heated emotions and offended people building upon each other. Eventually, the thread was closed and people were instructed to use the proper complaints/concerns channels.

It's so easy, in the heat of the moment, to go along with people when they express what you're feeling inside, is it not? To think/say/do things that you later realise were wrongful. To be a bully without realising, even when you know from personal experience how horrible bullying can be.

Easy, also, to allow originally inclusive, egalitarian groups to become exclusive and elitist. Once enough like-minded people are gathered, it is easier to attract more similar minds, rather than welcome a person who disturbs the status-quo. Support groups become collective back-patting, group-hugging affairs, offering plenty of help, love and reassurance for those who fit in and "deserve" it. Much like many mainstream Christian churches.

Pity the black sheep.